TWO  WAYS 

OF 
BECOMING 

A  HUNTER 


C- 


HARRY  CASTLE^ON 


^^,.  ~    /£— v  '  ^  ~-    ^£'7 1  c; --3 

^^  ^ —  '  -^  -^-~  '^.gr,*^'  ^  "    J5   x 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  COLLEGE  PRESIDENT  AND  THE  YOUNG  TAXIDERMIST. 


TWO  WAYS 


OF   BECOMING 


A  HUJSTTEK 


BY 

HARRY  CASTLEMON 

AUTHOR  OF  "  GUNBOAT  RERIKS."  "  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES,' 
"WAR  SERIES,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA 

PORTER  &  COATES 


COPYRIGHT,  1892, 

BT 
PORTER  &  COATES. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PACK 

I.  PLAYING  TRUANT 1 

II.  THE  BUSHWHACKERS,      .                .        .        .  16 

III.  OSCAR  AND  HIS  TROUBLES 34 

IV.  THE  YOUNG  TAXIDERMIST 50 

V.  OSCAR  RECEIVES  A  LETTER,       ....  66 

VI.  THE  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE,    ....  79 

VII.  OFF  FOR  THE  RIVER, 94 

VIII.  A  FORTUNATE  DUCK-HUNT 109 

IX.  THE  CAMP  ON  THE  ISLAND 129 

X.  AN  ASTOUNDING  OFFER,          ....  140 

XI.  MR.  SMITH  MAKES  AMENDS 156 

XII.  AN  EVENING  WITH  THE  PRINCIPAL,      .        .  172 

XIII.  THE  BLACK  Fox, 187 

XIV.  WHO  DESTROYED  THE  SNARES?    .        .        .  202 
XV.  BUGLE  SEEKS  REVENGE, 218 

XVI.  GOOD  AND  BAD  XEWS,            ....  234 

XVII.  PAYING  THE  FIDDLER, 247 

XVIII.  LEON  MAKES  UP  HIS  MEND,           ...  261 

XIX.  PLANS  AND  ARRANGEMENTS 271 

tu 


9165 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX.  LEON  DRAWS  HIS  MONEY,       ....  282 

XXI.  THE  RUNAWAYS, 290 

XXII.  THE  PRAIRIE  HOTEL, 300 

XXIII.  A  FRIENDLY  HUNTER,         ....  312 

XXIV.  ON  THE  TRAIL, '325 

XXV.  FRANK  STARTS  FOR  HOME,         .        .        .  335 

XXVI.  EBEN  Snows  HIS  COLORS,       .        .        .        .  346 

XXVII.  ALONE  AND  FRIENDLEBS,     ....  357 

XXVIII.  A  FAMILIAR  FACE, 371 

XXIX.  A  VOICE  FROM  THE  SNOW-DRIFT,  384 


TWO  WAYS  OF 


CHAPTER  I. 

PLAYING   TRUANT. 

'T~  DECLARE,  Prank,  it  is  time  we  were  off. 
-i-  It  is  almost  nine  o'clock.  I  wish  to  good- 
ness there  were  no  such  things  as  school- 
houses  and  school-books  in  the  world." 

"  I  am  not  going  to  school  to-day." 

"You're  not?" 

"No,  sir.     I'm  going  to  take  French  leave." 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  are  going  to  run 
away  ?" 

"  I  suppose  that  is  what  you  country  fel- 
lows call  it." 

"  Well,  now,  you  had  better  take  a  friend's 
advice,  and  think  twice  before  you  do  that. 


2         TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

You'll  get  yourself  into  trouble,  sure.  The 
rule  of  our  school  is  that  you  must  bring  a 
written  excuse  every  time  you  are  absent." 

"  That  was  the  rule  of  our  school  in  Boston, 
too  ;  but  it  didn't  keep  the  fellows  from  stay- 
ing away  whenever  they  felt  like  it." 

"  Where  did  you  get  your  excuses  ?  " 

"  We  wrote  them  ourselves,  and  signed  our 
fathers  name  to  them  ;  that's  the  way  we  got 
them." 

"You  can't  fool  our  teacher  that  way. 
He  knows  our  hand-writing  too  well.  He 
knows  yours,  too,  by  this  time." 

"  I  can  disguise  it  so  that  he'll  not  recog- 
nize it,  I  bet  you!  Don't  let's  go,  Leon.  I 
am  heartily  sick  of  school,  and  everything 
connected  with  it." 

"So  am  I." 

"  Then  suppose  we  spend  the  day  in  the 
woods." 

The  conversation  above  recorded  took  place, , 
one  gloomy  autumn  morning,  between  Leon 
Parker  and  his  city  cousin,  Frank  Fuller. 

They  were  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  and 
were  bright,  honest-looking  boys  ;  but  one  of 


PLAYING   TRUANT. 

them,  at  least,  was  just  the  opposite  of  what 
he  appeared  to  be. 

Leon  Parker  lived  in  the  little  town  of 
Eaton,  in  one  of  our  Northern  States.  His 
father  was  a  practising  lawyer,  and  the  boy  was 
given  every  opportunity  to  prepare  himself 
for  usefulness  in  after-life.  But  Leon  was  too 
indolent  to  study,  and  the  consequence  was 
that  he  always  stood  at  the  foot  of  his  class, 
and  saw  boys  younger  than  himself  carry  off 
the  honors  he  might  have  won  if  he  had  been 
willing  to  work  for  them. 

Leon  was  not  such  a  boy  as  you  would  have 
chosen  for  a  companion.  He  was  cross  and 
overbearing,  and  his  father  was  often  obliged 
to  take  him  to  task  for  some  of  his  mis- 
deeds. 

This  always  made  him  very  angry.  Other 
boys  seemed  to  get  on  without  having  the  least 
trouble  with  their  parents  or  anybody  else, 
and  Leon  finally  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
his  father  was  a  tyrant,  and  that  he  would  be 
much  happier  if  he  could  go  so  far  away  from 
him  that  he  would  never  see  him  again.  And 
yet  there  were  a  good  many  boys  in  Eaton 


4          TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING    A    IlfXTKTJ. 

who  would  have  been  glad  to  change  places 
with  him. 

While  liis  father  insisted  that  lie  should  be- 
have himself,  he  was,  at  the  same  time,  very 
indulgent,  and  he  had  supplied  Leon  with  a 
good  many  things  which  the  majority  of  the 
boys  in  E  iton  regarded  as  necessary  to  their 
happiness.  He  owned  a  beautiful  little  skiff, 
a  jointed  bass  rod,  and  a  light  fowling-piece. 
He  had  ample  opportunity  to  use  them,  too. 

The  country  about  the  village  was  hilly,  al- 
most mountainous  ;  the  woods  and  thickets 
were  dense,  and  grouse,  quails,  and  gray  and 
black  squirrels  could  be  bagged  any  day  with- 
out the  slightest  trouble.  Foxes  were  more 
abundant  than  the  neighboring  farmers 
wished  they  were,  deer  were  shot  within  sight 
of  the  court  house  every  winter,  and  now  and 
then  a  bear  or  wildcat  was  seen  among  the 
hills. 

In  summer,  the  river  which  flowed  in  front 
of  the  village  offered  black  and  rock  bass,  pike 
and  perch.  In  the  fall  it  was  visited  by  thou- 
sands of  wild  ducks,  which  stopped  there  to 
rest  during  their  migrations,  and  some  of 


PLAYING   TRUANT.  5 

them  were  so  well  satisfied  with  the  feeding- 
grounds  they  found  there  that  they  remained 
all  winter. 

The  most  of  the  boys  in  Eaton  thought  it 
was  a  nice  place  to  live,  but  Leon,  as  we  have 
said,  was  very  discontented ;  and  matters 
were  made  worse  by  the  arrival  of  his  cousin, 
Frank  Fuller,  who  was  sent  to  Eaton  because 
he  could  not  be  managed  at  home. 

It  was  understood  among  the  boys  to  whom 
he  had  been  introduced  that  he  had  come  there 
for  the  purpose  of  attending  the  high  school 
of  which  the  village  boasted,  and,  indeed,  his 
father's  instructions  were  that  he  was  not  to 
miss 'a  single  day.  He  had  been  there  just 
two  weeks,  and  now  he  was  talking  of  playing 
truant. 

Mr.  Parker  already  regretted  that  he  had 
consented  to  receive  his  nephew  into  his 
house.  He  began  to  fear  that  his  influence 
over  Leon  would  be  anything  but  beneficial. 

He  had  already  detected  him  in  numberless 
falsehoods,  and  had  discovered  that,  in  spite 
of  his  apparent  frankness,  he  was  as  sneaking 
and  sly  as  a  boy  could  possibly  be.  And 


6         TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING  A   HUNTER. 

Frank,  too,  was  sorry  that  he  had  ever  come 
to  Eaton.  He  was  disgusted  with  the  quiet 
life  he  led  at  his  uncle's  house,  and  heartily 
wished  himself  back  in  Boston. 

"Let's  go  up  on  the  hill  and  look  at  these 
snares  you  told  me  about  the  other  day,"  con- 
tinued Frank.  "  We  may  find  a  partridge  or 
two  in  them." 

"That's  so,"  exclaimed  Leon.  "I  never 
should  have  thought  of  them  again.  But  it 
will  be  awful  slow  walking  about  the  woods 
all  day  without  our  guns." 

"  Oh,  we'll  take  them  with  us  !  " 

"But  how  can  we  carry  them  downstairs, 
and  out  of  the  house,  without  being  seen  by 
somebody?" 

"We'll  do  it — you  may  depend  upon  that," 
answered  Frank,  as  he  disappeared  in  a  closet 
opening  off  the  room  in  which  he  and  his 
cousin  slept. 

When  he  came  out  again,  he  carried  a  light, 
silver-mounted  rifle  in  one  hand  and  a  game- 
bag  and  powder-horn  in  the  other. 

"We  must  have  something  to  eat,  too.  It 
gives  one  a  fearful  appetite  to  climb  over  these 


PLAYING  TRUANT.  7 

hills.  Yon  go  and  get  the  lunch  just  as  if  we 
were  going  to  school,  and  then  come  out  to 
the  barn,  and  you  will  find  me  there  with  the 
guns." 

To  this  Leon  silently  assented,  and  went 
into  the  closet  after  his  hunting  accoutre- 
ments, which  he  handed  over  to  Frank. 

While  the  latter  was  slinging  the  game- 
bag  and  the  powder-  and  shot-flasks  over  his 
shoulders,  Leon  opened  the  door  and  ran 
downstairs. 

In  the  hall  he  met  his  mother. 

"I  was  just  coming  to  call  you,"  said  she. 
"You  boys  will  be  late  at  school  if  you  do  not 
make  haste.  Your  lunch  is  all  ready." 

"We're  just  going  to  start,"  said  Leon. 
"But  not  for  school.  We  have  had  quite 
enough  of  that,"  he  added  to  himself,  as  he 
hurried  through  the  hall  and  turned  into  the 
kitchen. 

Cramming  the  lunch  into  his  pocket,  he 
slipped  out  of  the  back  door  and  ran  toward 
the  barn. 

When  Leon  reached  the  barn,  he  found 
Frank  waiting  for  him.  He  had  watched  his 


TWO   WAYS    OF    BECOMING   A    HL'NTER. 

opportunity,  and,  as  soon  as  his  aunt  went 
out  of  the  hall,  he  descended  the  stairs, 
opened  the  front  door,  and  made  his  way 
around  the  house  to  the  place  of  meeting. 

"Give  me  my  game-bag,  and  I  will  put  the 
lunch  into  it.  We  are  all  right  so  far,"  he 
said,  with  a  look  of  relief. 

"  Oh,  there's  nothing  to  be  alarmed  about," 
answered  Frank,  as  he  imslung  the  game-bag 
from  his  shoulder  and  handed  it  to  his  cousin. 
"  If  you  had  been  in  such  scrapes  as  often  as  I 
have,  you  would  think  nothing  of  it." 

"Perhaps  not;  but  I  almost  wish  I  had 
gone  to  school,"  said  Leon  honestly.  "  What 
will  become  of  us  when  father  finds  out  that 
we  have  played  hookey  ?  That's  what  bothers 
me." 

"It  needn't  bother  you,  for  he's  not  going 
to  find  it  out,"  was  Frank's  encouraging  re- 
ply. "We'll  enjoy  ourselves  in  the  woods 
for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  we'll  go  back  to 
our  Latin  and  geometry  again.  I'll  write  the 
excuse.  Don't  spoil  a  good  day's  sport  by 
worrying  over  that." 

Having  put  the  lunch  in  his  game-bag  Leon 


PLAYIXG   TRUANT.  9 

slung  it  over  his  shoulder,  picked  up  his  gun, 
and  opening  a  back  door  struck  out  across  a 
wide  field  that  lay  between  the  barn  and  the 
nearest  piece  of  woods,  closely  followed  by 
.his  cousin. 

They  walked  rapidly,  looking  back  now 
and  then  to  make  sure  that  they  were  keep- 
ing the  barn  bet\veen  themselves  and  the 
house,  and  it  was  not  until  they  had  climbed 
the  fence  and  plunged  into  the  woods  that 
Leon  felt  safe  from  discovery.  Then  he  drew 
a  long  breath  of  satisfaction  and  slackened 
his  pace. 

"  If  I  stood  as  much  in  fear  of  my  father  as 
you  do  of  yours,  I  wouldn't  stay  with  him," 
said  Frank,  who  seemed  to  be  perfectly  at  his 
ease.  "  I'd  run  away  from  him." 

It  was  right  on  the  point  of  Leon's  tongue 
to  tell  his  cousin  that  he  had  long  ago  resolved 
to  do  that  very  thing;  but  he  didn't  say  it, 
for  he  was  not  sure  that  it  would  be  quite  safe 
to  trust  Prank  with  his  secret. 

"I  have  often  thought  I  should  like  to  go 
out  West  and  live  as  those  hunters  and  trap- 
pers do,"  continued  Frank.  "Wouldn't  it 


10       TWO    WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A   1IUNTKR. 

be  jolly  to  have  a  snug  cabin  somewhere  in 
the  mountains,  and  nothing  to  do  but  attend 
to  your  traps  every  day  and  hunt  the  big 
game  that  is  so  abundant  out  there  ?" 

This  very  thought  had  often  suggested  itself 
to  Leon's  lively  imagination,  and  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  that  some  day  he  would  live  in 
just  that  way. 

"  I  shall  see  that  country  before  long," 
Frank  went  on.  "  Father  is  going  to  Califor- 
nia on  business  next  year,  and  he  has  promised 
that  if  I  will  behave  myself  while  I  am  here  in 
Eaton,  he  will  take  me  with  him.  If  I  like 
the  looks  of  things  as  well  as  I  think  I  shall, 
you'll  never  see  me  among  civilized  people 
again." 

"Will  you  stay  out  there  and  become  a 
hunter  ? "  asked  Leon. 

"Yes,  sir!" 

"But  what  would  you  say  to  your  father  \ " 

"I  shouldn't  say  anything  to  him.  When 
I  found  a  place  that  suited  me,  I  would  slip 
away  from  him,  and  let  him  come  home  with- 
out me." 

"  But  you  have  lived  in  the  city  all  your 


PLAYING  TRUANT.  11 

life,  and  what  do  you  know  about  the  West- 
ern country  ? " 

"  I  could  learn  all  about  it,  couldn't  I?  I 
am  a  pretty  good  shot  with  a  rifle,  and  I 
should  try  to  work  myself  in  somewhere  as 
post-hunter.  Others  have  done  it,  and  I 
don't  see  why  I  couldn't." 

"  What  is  a  post-hunter?"  asked  Leon. 

"  Why,  he  is  a  man  whose  business  it  is  to 
keep  the  garrison  supplied  with  fresh  meat. 
If  the  soldiers  go  out  on  an  expedition  to  ex- 
plore the  country  or  hunt  Indians,  he  goes 
with  them  and  shoots  all  the  game  they  want 
to  eat.  He  is  regularly  employed  and  paid  by 
the  government.  If  I  couldn't  get  a  position 
like  that,  I'd  hunt  buffaloes  for  their  hides. 
Why,  only  the  other  day  I  read  in  the  paper 
that  one  old  hunter  out  there  had  killed 
twelve  hundred  buffaloes  in  a  single  season. 
He  sold  their  skins  for  a  dollar  apiece,  too." 

"Twelve  hundred  dollars  a  year!"  ex- 
claimed Leon. 

"Oh,  some  of  them  make  more  than  that. 
And  then  just  think  of  the  fun  they  have  !  " 

Leon  had  often  thought  of  that  very  thing  ; 


12       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUNTEK. 

and  he  had  thought  of  it  in  school,  when  his 
mind  ought  to  have  been  fully  occupied  with 
his  books. 

Xothing  suited  him  better  than  to  ramble  all 
day  over  the  hills,  with  his  double-barrel  in  his 
hands,  making  double  shots  at  the  game-birds 
with  which  the  woods  abounded.  He  generally 
spent  every  Saturday  during  the  hunting  sea- 
son in  this  way,  and  he  had  finally  come  to  be- 
lieve that  he  would  rather  do  that  than  any- 
thing else. 

The  only  drawback  to  his  enjoyment  was 
that  when  the  day  drew  to  a  close  the  hunt 
came  to  an  end,  and  he  was  obliged  to  go  home. 
That  was  a  place  where  he  never  saw  any  pleas- 
ure, especially  in  the  evening.  His  father 
was  always  deeply  engrossed  with  his  paper, 
his  mother  was  busy  with  her  needle,  and, 
until  Frank  came,  Leon  had  no  one  to  whom 
he  could  safely  confide  his  secret  hopes  and 
longings. 

When  he  became  a  hunter,  with  a  nice  little 
cabin  of  his  own,  in  some  secluded  valley  where 
game  of  all  kinds  was  abundant,  things  would 
be  very  different,  he  often  told  himself. 


PLAYING   TRUANT.  13 

After  he  had  spent  the  day  in  attending  to 
his  traps  and  fighting  with  the  grizzlies,  he 
would  return  to  his  snug  harbor,  well  loaded 
with  the  spoils  of  the  chase  ;  and  while  his 
venison  steaks  and  corn  bread  were  turning  to 
a  crisp  brown  under  the  influence  of  a  cheerful 
fire,  he  would  recline  at  his  ease  upon  a  pile  of 
soft  buffalo  robes,  and  think  over  the  events  of 
the  day,  while  he  listened  to  the  howling  of 
the  wolves  and  the  sifting  of  the  snow  upon  the 
roof  of  his  cabin. 

Leon  always  grew  excited  when  this  agree- 
able picture  arose  before  his  mental  vision,  and 
he  longed  for  the  day  when  the  dream  would 
become  a  reality. 

Frank,  as  may  be  supposed,  had  a  good  deal 
to  say  about  the  joys  of  a  hunter's  life,  and 
while  he  talked  and  Leon  listened,  they  pushed 
their  way  rapidly  through  the  woods,  and 
finally,  after  crossing  several  <}eep  ravines  and 
climbing  two  or  three  fences,  they  found  them- 
selves on  Mr.  Parker's  hill-farm,  where  Leon 
had  set  his  snares. 

The  latter  led  the  way  toward  the  thicket  in 
which  the  snares  had  been  placed,  and  when 


14       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

he  reached  it  he  stopped  suddenly,  dropped 
the  butt  of  his  gun  to  the  ground,  and  uttered 
an  exclamation  indicative  of  great  rage  and 
astonishment. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Frank. 

"  Why,  just  look  at  that,  and  tell  me  if  you 
ever  heard  of  a  more  contemptible  trick  !  " 
exclaimed  Leon. 

Frank  looked,  but  could  discover  nothing  to 
excite  his  cousin's  anger.  All  he  saw  was  a 
low  fence,  built  of  twigs,  which  stretched  away 
on  each  side  of  him  as  far  as  his  eyes  could 
reach.  At  intervals  of  a  dozen  feet  or  more 
were  little  openings  about  six  inches  wide,  and 
it  was  in  these  openings  that  the  snares  had 
been  set. 

The  last  time  Leon  was  there  the  snares  were 
all  in  perfect  order,  and  ready  to  catch  any 
luckless  grouse  or  hare  which  might  attempt 
to  pass  through  the  openings  before  spoken  of. 

But  now  there  was  not  a  single  snare  to  be 
seen.  The  strings  of  which  they  were  made 
had  all  been  removed. 

"It's  the  meanest  piece  of  business  I  ever 
heard  of  !  "  continued  Leon,  backing  toward  a 


PLAYING   TRUANT.  15 

fallen  log  and  seating  himself  upon  it.  "That 
meddlesome  Oscar  Preston  has  been  up  here 
and  destroyed  all  my  work.  I  wish  I  could 
get  within  reach  of  him  for  about  t\vo  minutes. 
I'd  teach  him  to  mind  his  own  business!  " 

Leon  struck  his  open  palm  with  his  clenched 
hand,  and  looked  very  savage  indeed. 


w 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   BUSHWHACKERS. 

HO  is  Oscar  Preston  ?  "  asked  Frank,  as 
he  seated  himself  on  the  log  beside  his 
cousin. 

"Oh,  he's  the  village  pot-hunter ! "  Leon 
answered,  throwing  as  much  contempt  into 
his  tones  as  he  could. 

"  Pot-hunter  ?  "  repeated  Frank. 

"Yes.  He's  a  market-shooter.  He  doesn't 
hunt  game  for  the  fun  of  it,  as  you  and  I,  and 
all  other  decent  fellows  do,  but  he  does  it  to 
make  money  out  of  it.  He  is  too  lazy  to  earn 
a  living  in  any  respectable  way  ;  and,  besides, 
as  he  comes  of  a  dishonest  family,  no  one  in 
town  will  employ  him.  You  see,  he  and  his 
brother  used  to  work  in  Smith  &  Anderson's 
grocery  store.  Oscar  was  one  of  the  clerks, 
and  his  brother  was  book-keeper  and  cashier. 
Just  before  you  came  here,  his  brother  disap- 

1G 


TIII-:  BUSHWHACKERS.  17 

peared  all  of  a  sudden,  and  has  never  been 
heard  of  since.  After  he  was  gone  his  books 
were  examined,  and  it  was  found  that  he  was 
a  defaulter  to  the  amount  of  three  thousand 
dollars.  Smith  &  Anderson  didn't  like  that 
very  well,  and  believing  that  if  there  was  one 
thief  in  the  Preston  family  there  might  be 
another,  they  thought  it  was  best  to  give 
Oscar  his  walking-papers." 

"  Does  he  make  any  money  by  shooting  for 
the  market  ?  "  asked  Frank. 

"  I  should  say  he  did.  There  is  a  mortgage 
of  five  hundred  dollars  on  his  mother's  place 
(his  father  is  dead,  you  know),  and  Oscar  has 
paid  off  a  hundred  dollars  of  it  since  he  left 
the  store.  He's  got  a  leaky  old  scow,  a  double- 
barrel  blunderbus  that  you  and  I  wouldn't 
pick  up  in  the  street,  and  a  half  starved 
hound.  The  scow  he  uses  for  hunting  ducks 
on  the  river,  and  with  the  hound  he  runs  foxes 
and  rabbits.  When  summer  come^,  I  suppose 
he  will  fish  all  the  time.  He  can  catch  black 
bass  where  nobody  else  would  ever  think  of 
looking  for  them,  and  he  can  sell  every  one  of 
them  for  ten  cents  a  pound." 
2 


18       TWO    WAYS    OF    BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

"But  what  right  had  he  to  destroy  your 
snares  ? " 

"He  had  no  right  to  do  it,  for  he  is  not 
game-constable." 

"What  sort  of  a  constable  is  that !  "  asked 
Frank. 

"  Why,  you  know  there  is  a  law  in  this 
State  which  says  that  game  shall  not  be  shot 
except  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  and  a 
game-constable  is  a  man  whose  business  it  is 
to  see  that  the  law  is  obeyed.  It  is  against 
the  law  to  trap  partridges  and  quails,  and  if 
we  had  a  game-constable  in  town  I  shouldn't 
have  set  these  snares,  for  I  should  have  ren- 
dered myself  liable  to  prosecution  ;  but  the 
office  is  vacant  now,  for  there  was  no  one 
elected  to  h'll  it  last  year." 

"I  think  Oscar  was  taking  a  good  deal 
upon  himself,"  said  Frank. 

"So  do  I ;  and  the  reason  he  did  it  was  be- 
cause every  partridge  or  rabbit  that  I  catch 
leaves  just  one  less  for  him  to  shoot  for 
market.  But  these  are  my  father's  grounds, 
and  I  shall  give  him  to  understand,  the  first 
time  I  meet  him,  that  I  want  him  to  keep 


THE   BUSHWIIACKKR8.  19 

away  from  here.  You  and  I  can  shoot  all  the 
birds  there  are  in  these  woods." 

"I  wouldn't  take  the  trouble  to  say  a  word 
to  him,"  replied  Frank.  "  I'd  pay  him  back  in 
his  own  coin.  If  he  wouldn't  let  me  snare 
birds,  I  wouldn't  let  him  hunt  foxes.  Do  you 
ever  see  that  hound  of  his  running  about  the 
woods  ? " 

"Oh,  yes,  I  often  see  him  !  " 

"Well,  the  next  time  you  put  eyes  on  him 
just  bushwhack  him  and  send  a  charge  of  shot 
into  him." 

"lean  do  that,  can't  I?"  exclaimed  Leon, 
growing  excited  at  once.  "But  what  if 
Oscar  should  find  it  out?"  he  added,  after  he 
had  taken  a  second  thought. 

"  Very  likely  he  will  find  it  out.  He  will 
know  that  somebody  has  shot  his  hound  when 
he  finds  him  dead,  won't  he  ?  " 

"But  I  mean— suppose  he  should  find  out 
that  I  did  it?" 

"  I  don't  see  how  he  can  do  it.  The  hound, 
if  he  is  following  a  trail,  will  probably  be 
some  distance  in  advance  of  his  master,  and 
all  you've  got  to  do  is  to  knock  him  over  and 


20       TWO    WAYS    OF    BECOMING    A    IITNTKR. 

dig  out.  It  isn't  at  all  probable  that  Oscar 
will  ever  find  out  who  did  the  shooting;  but 
if  he  does,  you  can  tell  him  that  you  did  it 
to  square  accounts  with  him  for  destroying 
your  snares." 

"  I'd  like  to  do  it,  but  it  would  be  sure  to 
raise  a  storm  in  the  village,"  said  Leon,  shak- 
ing his  head  in  a  very  significant  manner. 
"All  the  folks  used  to  like  that  boy,  and  he's 
got  a  good  many  friends  yet." 

"Then  show  me  the  hound,  and  I'll  shoot 
him!"  said  Frank  impatiently.  "I  thought 
you  had  more  pluck,  /am  not  afraid  of  that 
fellow,  or  his  friends  either.  Now,  let's  set 
these  snares  again,  and  go  on  and  see  if  we 
can  find  some  birds.  But  in  the  first  place, 
explain  one  thing  to  me  :  What  did  you  build 
that  fence  for?" 

"To  stop  any  rabbit  or  partridge  who  might 
come  this  way,"  answered  Leon. 

"I  shouldn't  think  it  would  stop  them. 
They  could  easil}r  jump  over  it,  for  it  isn't 
much  more  than  a  foot  high." 

"But  they  won't  do  it,"  said  Leon. 
"  Whenever  they  come  to  an  obstruction  of 


THE   BUSHWHACKERS.  21 

this  kind  they  never  attempt  to  cross  it — that 
is,  they  are  not  alarmed,  but  run  along  by  the 
side  of  it  to  find  some  way  to  get  through  or 
around  it.  When  they  reach  one  of  these 
openings  they  try  to  squeeze  through  it,  and 
that  is  the  time  they  get  caught.  Now  I'll 
show  you  how  the  snares  are  set." 

Leon  placed  his  gun  against  the  log  on 
which  he  was  sitting,  and  producing  a  piece 
of  fine,  strong  twine  from  one  of  the  pockets 
of  his  game-bag,  he  made  a  running  noose  in 
one  end  of  it.  The  other  he  fastened  securely 
to  a  small  hickory  sapling  which  grew  near 
one  of  the  openings  in  the  fence.  This  done, 
he  bent  the  sapling  over  and  placed  the  noose 
in  the  opening,  and  confined  it  there  with  a 
short  notched  stick  which  he  cut  from  a  neigh- 
boring bush.  Then,  in  order  to  show  his 
cousin  how  the  snare  operated,  he  pushed  the 
notched  stick  out  of  its  place  by  giving  it  a 
gentle  tap  with  his  finger,  whereupon  the 
sapling  straightened  itself  up  with  a  jerk, 
and  the  running  noose  was  fastened  firmly 
about  his  wrist. 

"  Oh,  I  see  !  "  exclaimed  Frank.     "  When  a 


22       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

bird  or  rabbit  tries  to  pass  through  one  of 
these  little  gates,  he  knocks  out  the  stick,  and 
is  pulled  up  by  the  neck  before  he  knows  what 
is  the  matter  with  him." 

"That  is  just  the  way  the  thing  works," 
replied  Leon;  "and  the  noose  is  drawn  to- 
gether so  quickly,  when  the  sapling  flies  back 
to  its  place,  that  nothing  can  get  out  of  the 
way  of  it.  Nine  times  in  ten,  when  you  find 
one  of  your  snares  sprung,  you  will  find  game 
in  it." 

"  Give  me  some  of  that  string  and  I'll  help 
you  set  them,"  said  Frank,  leaning  his  rifle 
against  the  log  beside  his  cousin's  double- 
barrel.  "  I  know  how  it  is  done  now." 

The  boys  had  a  good  hour's  work  before 
them.  The  fence  was  nearly  a  hundred  yards 
long  ;  there  were  a  good  many  openings  in  it, 
and  the  person  who  destroyed  the  snares,  who- 
ever he  was,  had  made  sure  work  of  it.  He 
had  not  only  carried  off  all  the  strings  and 
thrown  away  the  notched  sticks,  but  in  some 
places  he  had  broken  down  the  saplings  to 
which  the  strings  were  tied. 

Leon  had  a  good  many  hard  things  to  say 


THE   BUSHWHACKERS.  23 

about  Oscar  while  lie  was  engaged  in  repairing 
damages,  and  when  he  found  how  completely 
all  his  care  and  patient  labor  had  been  un- 
done by  the  despised  market-shooter,  he  grew 
angrier  than  ever. 

"All  the  foxes  he  catches  with  that  hound 
this  winter  he  can  carry  in  one  of  his  vest 
pockets  !  "  declared  Leon,  as  he  trimmed  the 
branches  off  a  sapling  with  his  knife.  "The 
very  first  time  I  get  within  range  of  him,  I'll 
fill  him  so  full  of  holes  that  he  will  answer  for 
a  window  !  I  don't  care  if  Oscar  sees  me  when 
I  do  it,  either." 

At  length  the  repairs  were  all  completed, 
and  the  snares  were  set  in  readiness  to 
snatch  up  anything  in  the  way  of  small 
game  that  might  chance  to  come  within  their 
reach. 

The  work  had  given  Frank  an  appetite,  and 
he  proposed  that  they  should  go  further  back 
in  the  woods,  shoot  a  couple  of  squirrels,  if 
they  could  not  find  any  birds,  roast  them  over 
a  fire,  and  eat  them  with  their  lunch. 

His  cousin  readily  falling  in  with  the  idea, 
they  shouldered  their  guns,  and  before  setting 


!24       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTEK. 

out,  turned  to  take  a  survey  of  their  work 
and  make  sure  that  nothing  had  been  left 
undone. 

At  that  moment  the  bugle-like  notes  of  a 
hound  rang  through  the  woods. 

"There  he  is  now!"  exclaimed  Leon,  in 
great  excitement.  "Isn't  it  lucky?  Keep 
perfectly  quiet  until  we  find  out  which  way  he 
is  going." 

"  Are  you  sure  that  is  the  dog  you  want  to 
see  ? ' '  asked  Frank. 

"Of  course  I  am!  There's  not  another 
hound  about  the  village.  If  he  comes  in  sight 
of  us,  you  will  see  that  he  is  a  large,  tan-col- 
ored animal,  with  ears  like  an  elephant's. 
Everybody  says  he  is  just  splendid.  He  has 
brought  his  owner  many  a  dollar  to  go  toward 
paying  off  that  mortgage,  but  I'll  bet  he'll  not 
bring  him  many  more  if  I  get  a  fair  chance  at 
him  !  " 

Again  the  deep-toned  bay  rang  out  on  the 
frosty  air,  awakening  a  thousand  echoes 
among  the  hills  :  and  this  time  it  sounded 
nearer  than  before.  The  hound  had  evidently 
struck  a  warm  trail,  and  Leon  told  his  cousin, 


THE  BUSHWHACKERS.  25 

in  a  suppressed  whisper,  that  the  trail  led 
directly  toward  them. 

A  few  seconds,  and  even  the  inexperienced 
Frank  became  satisfied  of  this  fact.  The 
hound  now  gave  tongue  almost  continuously  ; 
the  melodious  notes  grew  louder  every  mo- 
ment, and  presently  a  rustling  in  the  bushes 
told  the  boys  that  he  was  close  at  hand,  and 
coming  nearer  with  every  bound. 

Leon  cocked  one  barrel  of  his  gun,  planted 
his  feet  firmly  upon  the  ground,  and  just  then 
a  hound,  which  answered  to  the  description 
he  had  given  to  his  cousin,  except  in  one  par- 
ticular, emerged  from  the  thicket.  He  ran 
along  with  his  nose  close  to  the  ground,  wag- 
ging his  tail  vigorously,  and  so  intent  was  he 
upon  his  work  that  he  did  not  immediately 
discover  the  boys. 

When  he  did  become  aware  of  their  pres- 
ence, however,  he  merely  lifted  his  head  long 
enough  to  give  one  look  at  them,  and  then  took 
up  his  trail  again.  He  was  not  at  all  afraid  of 
them.  Bugle — that  was  the  name  of  the 
hound— knew  everybody  in  the  village  ;  and 
everybody  knew  him,  and  liked  him,  too. 


26       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"  That  is  the  last  trail  you  will  ever  follow, 
my  four-footed  friend!"  Leon  exclaimed,  as 
he  raised  his  gun  to  his  shoulder  and  waited 
for  the  animal  to  come  out  from  behind  a  fallen 
log,  which  just  at  that  moment  concealed  him 
from  view. 

"Mind  what  you  are  doing,"  Frank  whis- 
pered, laying  his  hand  upon  his  cousin's  arm, 
"  That  isn't  the  dog  you  want." 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  was  Leon's  reply. 

"  Why,  you  said  Oscar's  hound  was  half 
starved,  and  this  one  is  as  plump  as  a  quail," 
protested  Frank. 

"I  guess  I  know  what  I  am  about!"  an- 
swered Leon  impatiently. 

He  shook  off  his  cousin's  hand,  drew  his 
gun  closer  to  his  face,  and  just  then  the  hound 
came  in  sight  around  the  end  of  the  log. 

Leon  took  a  quick  aim  at  his  head  and  pulled 
the  trigger.  There  was  a  commotion  among 
the  leaves,  a  howl  of  anguish,  and  when  the 
smoke  cleared  away,  the  boys  saw  Bugle  run- 
ning at  full  speed  through  the  woods,  yelping 
loudly  at  every  jump.  He  was  out  of  sight  in 
an  instant. 


THE   BUSHWHACKERS.  27 

"  There  !  "  exclaimed  Leon.  "  Go  and  hunt 
up  your  master,  and  tell  him  to  keep  his 
hands  off  my  snares  in  future." 

ik  Let's  dig  out,"  said  Frank  hastily.  "  Os- 
car can't  be  far  away,  and  you  don't  want  him 
to  find  you  here." 

No,  Leon  had  not  the  slightest  desire  to 
meet  Bugle's  master  after  what  he  had  done. 
He  had  talked  very  glibly  about  teaching  Os- 
car to  mind  his  own  business  if  he  could  only 
get  within  reach  of  him  for  a  few  minutes,  but 
he  knew  very  well  that  that  was  something 
he  could  not  do. 

Oscar  was  a  young  athlete,  even  if  he  was 
nothing  but  a  market-shooter.  Although  he 
was  a  fe\v  months  younger  than  Leon,  he  was  a 
good  deal  larger  and  stronger,  and  it  would 
have  been  no  trouble  at  all  for  him  to  take 
Leon  by  the  collar  with  one  hand  and  Frank 
with  the  other,  and  give  them  both  a  hearty 
shaking. 

Probably  Leon  was  afraid  he  would  do  it  if 
he  caught  them,  for  he  lost  no  time  in  acting 
upon  his  cousin's  suggestion  to  "dig  out." 
He  ran  so  swiftly  that  he  very  soon  left  Frank 


28       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

behind,  and  the  latter,  who  was  quickly  out 
of  breath,  begged  him  to  hold  up. 

"  What  makes  you  take  to  this  rough, 
ground?"  panted  Frank,  as  he  toiled  up  a 
high  hill  which  his  cousin  had  climbed  in  his 
rapid  flight. 

"  Because  the  woods  are  thicker  up  here,  and 
afford  us  better  hiding-places,"  was  Leon's 
answer. 

"  Well,  there's  no  need  that  we  should  run 
ourselves  to  death,"  said  Frank,  as  he  seated 
himself  on  a  huge  bowlder  and  drew  his 
handkerchief  across  his  forehead,  "and  I'll 
not  go  another  step." 

"  There's  no  need  of  it,  for  we  are  safe  now. 
It  is  lucky  there  is  no  snow  on  the  ground,  for 
if  there  was,  Oscar  could  follow  us  all  clay. 
We'll  have  a  few  minutes'  rest,  and  then 
we'll  see  if  we  can  shoot  something  for  our 
dinner." 

Leon  took  his  seat  upon  another  bowlder  a 
short  distance  away,  and  during  the  ten  min- 
utes he  remained  there  he  never  said  a  word  to 
his  cousin.  The  latter  did  not  speak  to  him 
either.  Frank  had  no  breath  to  waste  in 


THE   BUSHWHACKERS.  29 

words,  and  Leon  was  busy  with  liis  own 
thoughts.  He  was  by  no  means  proud  of  the 
act  he  had  just  performed.  He  was  a  bad  boy, 
but  he  was  not  wholly  depraved,  and  his  con- 
science smote  him  when  he  reflected  that  he 
had,  in  a  moment  of  anger,  deprived  an  in- 
dustrious, hard-working  youth  of  almost  the 
only  means  he  had  of  earning  a  livelihood  and 
keeping  a  roof  over  the  head  of  his  widowed 
mother.  He  knew  very  well  that  the  ambi- 
tious and  high-spirited  Oscar  was  not  a  market- 
shooter  from  choice.  He  followed  the  business 
for  the  same  reason  that  a  good  many  others 
follow  a  business  they  do  not  like — because  he 
could  lind  nothing  else  to  do,  and  he  was  not 
the  one  to  stand  idly  by  and  see  his  mother 
suffer  for  the  want  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 

"Father  says  he  deserves  a  good  deal  of 
credit,  and  that  there  isn't  one  boy  in  a  thou- 
sand who  would  do  as  well  as  he  has  done," 
thought  Leon  ;  and  then  he  grew  angry  again. 
"  What  do  I  care  for  what  father  says  ? " 
he  added  mentally.  "  He  is  always  ready  to 
praise  other  boys,  while  for  me  he  has  nothing 
but  scowls  and  cross  words.  I  am  glad  I 


30       TWO   WATS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

killed  that  old  hound,  and  I  am  only  sorry 
that  Oscar  hadn't  got  a  dozen,  so  that  I  could 
shoot  them  all.  He  needn't  think  he  owns  all 
the  birds  in  the  country,  simply  because  lie 
makes  a  living  by  shooting  them  for  market. 
Are  you  rested  now,  Frank  ?  If  you  are,  we'll 
go  on.'' 

The  young  hunters  did  not  have  far  to  look 
to  find  the  dinner  of  which  they  were  in 
search.  The  squirrels  were  busy  gathering 
their  winter's  supply  of  nuts,  and  on  almost 
the  first  hickory  tree  they  saw,  they  found 
three  plump  little  fellows,  and  bagged  them 
all  ;  two  falling  to  Leon's  double- barrel,  and 
the  other  coming  down  with  one  of  Frank's 
bullets  through  his  head.  As  soon  as  they  had 
secured  their  game  Leon  led  the  way  to  the 
bottom  of  the  deep  ravine,  where  they  found  a 
stream  of  water,  beside  which  they  built  their 
fire.  The  squirrels  were  roasted  on  forked 
sticks  over  the  flames  ;  and  when  the  bones 
had  all  been  picked  clean,  and  the  last  morsel 
of  the  lunch  had  disappeared,  the  truants 
stretched  themselves  at  full  length  beside  the 
fire,  and  listened  to  the  howling  of  the  wind 


THE    BUSHWHACKERS.  31 

which  shook  the  leafless  branches  of  the  trees 
on  the  summit  of  the  hills  above  them,  and 
watched  the  little  flakes  of  snow  that  now  and 
then  found  their  way  into  the  ravine. 

The  snow-storm,  that  all  the  weather-wise 
people  in  the  village  had  been  predicting  for 
several  days  past,  was  now  raging  above  their 
heads  ;  but  it  did  not  reach  them  in  their 
sheltered  camp,  for  the  thick  screen  of  ever- 
greens, which  lined  the  foot  of  the  high  hills 
on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  effectually  pro- 
tected them  from  its  fury. 

"  It  is  of  no  use  to  think  of  hunting  as  long 
as  it  snows  and  blows  like  this,"  said  Leon  ; 
"  so  we  may  as  well  stay  here." 

"I  was  just  thinking  of  something,"  said 
Frank.  "  Suppose  we  had  found  your  snares 
all  in  order,  and  a  partridge  or  rabbit  in  each 
one  of  them  ?  What  would  we  have  done 
with  the  game  ?  It  wouldn't  have  been  safe  to 
take  it  home  with  us." 

"Of  course  it  wouldn't,"  answered  Leon. 
"  We  should  have  exposed  ourselves  at  once. 
What  could  we  have  done  with  it?  I  never 
thought  of  that  before,  but  there's  one  thing 


32       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

I  have  been  thinking  about  all  day  :  What 
are  we  going  to  say  to  -father  when  we  go 
home  to-night? " 

"We'll  not  say  anything  to  him.  We'll 
hide  our  guns  in  the  b^rn,  and  walk  into  the 
house  as  we  do  every  night  when  we  come 
from  school." 

"I  wish  I  needn't  go  home  at  all,"  said 
Leon  spitefully.  "  I  could  have  enjoyed 
myself  to-day  if  I  hadn't  been  continually 
haunted  by  the  fear  that  something  is  going 
to  happen.  I  declare,  it  is  growing  dark 
already.  What  time  is  it  ?  " 

"Three  o'clock,"  replied  Frank,  consulting 
his  watch. 

"  Is  it  as  late  as  that?"  cried  Leon,  jump- 
ing to  his  feet.  "Where  has  the  day  gone? 
WTe  mustn't  stay  here  a  minute  longer.  We 
have  four  miles  to  go,  and  if  we  are  not  at 
home  within  fifteen  minutes  after  school  is 
dismissed,  we  shall  hear  of  it,  I  tell  you  !  " 

Leon  noticed  that  Frank  did  not  appear  to 
be  quite  so  indifferent  to  the  consequences  of 
playing  truant  as  he  did  when  they  started 
out  in  the  morning.  He  sprang  to  his  feet 


THE   BUSHWHACKERS.  33 

with  all  haste,  and,  after  throwing  his  game- 
bag  and  powder-horn  over  his  shoulder,  as- 
sisted his  cousin  to  put  out  the  fire.  When 
this  had  been  done,  the  two  boys  clambered 
up  the  hill  and  struck  out  at  a  rapid  walk  for 
the  village,  where  a  great  surprise  awaited 
them. 


CHAPTER  III. 

OSCAR   AXD   HIS   TROUBLES. 

'nr)RESTON,  as  soon  as  you  get  those  goods 
~L-  tied  up,  Mr.  Smith  wants  to  see  yon  in 
the  office." 

The  speaker  was  Mr.  Anderson,  junior 
partner  of  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Anderson,  the 
leading  grocery  and  dry  goods  merchants  of 
Eaton,  and  the  person  addressed  was  one  of 
the  clerks,  who  was  engnged  in  putting  up 
some  groceries  that  had  just  been  ordered  by  a 
customer. 

He  was  a  sturdy,  handsome  boy  of  sixteen 
years  of  age,  and  until  within  a  few  days  had 
been  one  of  the  most  cheerful,  light-hearted 
fellows  about  the  store  ;  but  he  had  changed 
wonderfully  of  late,  and  the  expression  of 
melancholy  his  face  always  wore  deepened  as 
the  junior  partner  leaned  over  the  counter  and 
whispered  these  words  into  his  ear. 

"Very   good,   sir,"    he    replied.      u  It    has 


OSCAR    AND    HIS   TROUBLES.  35 

come  at  last,"  he  added  to  himself,  as  the 
junior  partner  walked  away.  "I  can't  say  I 
am  surprised,  for  I  have  been  expecting  it. 
It  is  all  up  with  me  now.  I  don't  care  for  my- 
self, but  what  will  become  of  mother  ? " 

The  clerk's  hands  trembled  as  he  went  on 
tying  up  the  groceries  ;  and  when  the  last 
article  the  order-book  called  for  had  been 
weighed  out,  and  all  the  bundles  had  been 
placed  on  one  end  of  the  counter  and  marked 
with  the  owner's  name,  so  that  the  man  who 
drove  the  delivery  wagon  would  know  where 
to  take  them,  he  called  all  his  courage  to  his 
aid  and  walked  into  the  office,  the  door  of 
which  was  open. 

As  he  entered,  a  gray-headed,  hard-featured 
m:m,  who  was  sitting  on  a  high  stool  in  front 
of  the  desk,  turned  and  looked  at  him  over 
his  spectacles. 

"Mr.  Anderson  says  you  want  to  see  me, 
sir/'  said  the  clerk. 

"Yes  ;  I  sent  for  you,"  replied  the  gray- 
headed  man.  "  There  is  the  money  we  owe 
you — fifteen  dollars.  We  shall  not  need  your 
services  any  longer." 


36       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

"Am  I  discharged,  sir?"  asked  the  boy, 
as  he  took  the  bills  that  were  handed 
him. 

"Yes.  Times  are  hard  and  trade  dull,  as 
you  know,  and  we  mast  begin  to  cut  down 
our  expenses.  You  are  the  youngest  clerk  in 
the  store,  and  so  you  must  go  first." 

"  May  I  ask  you  for  a  letter  of  recommen- 
dation, to  assist  me  in  obtaining  another  situa- 
tion \  "  asked  the  clerk. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  ask  me  for  it,  Oscar,  for 
I  can't  consistently  give  it  to  you,"  replied 
Mr.  Smith. 

The  boy  seemed  to  be  utterly  confounded. 
His  face  grew  pale  and  red  by  turns,  and  as 
soon  as  he  could  speak,  he  said,  with  more 
spirit  than  his  employer  had  ever  seen  him 
exhibit  before  : 

"Then  you  may  as  well  acknowledge  that 
your  plan  of  cutting  down  expenses  is  merely 
a  subterfuge.  I  know  why  I  am  dismissed, 
and  I  think  you  ought  not  to  hold  me  respon- 
sible for  my  brother's  rascality  nor  punish  me 
for  it.  I  regret  it  more  than  you  possibly  can, 
but  I  am  in  no  way  to  blame  for  it." 


OSCAR   AND    HIS   TROUBLES.  37 

"We'll  not  argue  the  matter,"  answered 
Mr.  Smith,  turning  to  his  desk  and  picking 
up  his  pen.  "All  I  have  to  say  to  you,  is  that 
we  do  not  need  you  any  longer." 

"  And  all  I  have  to  say  to  you,  sir,  is  good- 
day  !  "  returned  the  clerk. 

He  took  his  cap  from  the  rack  behind  the 
door,  walked  out  of  the  store  like  one  in  a 
dream,  and  turned  down  the  street.  He  went 
on  by  the  hotel,  crossed  the  long  bridge  that 
spanned  the  creek,  and  hurried  along  the  road 
as  if  he  were  trying  to  leave  behind  him  all 
recollection  of  the  scene  through  which  he  had 
just  passed. 

"I  can't  go  home  yet,"  he  kept  saying  to 
himself.  "I  haven't  the  heart  to  tell  mother 
that  I  have  lost  my  situation,  for  she  has  had 
so  miuh  trouble  already  that  it  is  a  wonder 
how  she  bears  up  under  it  as  well  as  she 
does." 

For  two  hours  Oscar  tore  along  the  road  as 
if  he  were  walking  a  match  against  time,  but, 
fast  as  he  went,  his  gloomy  thoughts  kept 
pace  with  him.  The  wind  came  down  keen 
and  strong  from  the  hills,  stripping  the 


38       TWO   "WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

withered  leaves  in  showers  from  the  shade- 
trees  on  either  side  of  the  road,  and  causing 
the  boy's  hands  and  face  to  turn  to  a  deep 
purple ;  but  he  never  knew  it.  He  was  so 
completely  wrapped  up  in  his  troubles  that  he 
did  not  see  any  of  the  teams  that  passed  him, 
nor  did  he  hear  a  single  one  of  the  invitations 
to  ride  that  were  shouted  at  him  by  the  kind- 
hearted  farmers. 

He  could  think  of  nothing  but  Mr.  Smith's 
refusal  to  assist  him  in  obtaining  another 
situation,  and  he  was  only  brought  to  his 
senses  at  last  by  the  measured  strokes  of  the 
town  clock,  which  came  faintly  to  his  ears, 
followed  almost  immediately  by  the  shrill 
whistle  of  the  lock-shop. 

Then  the  boy  stopped,  and  looked  about 
him.  He  was  standing  on  the  summit  of  one 
of  the  highest  hills,  and  the  village  of  Eaton 
could  be  dimly  seen  in  the  distance. 

"It's  twelve  o'clock,"  said  he  to  himself. 
"I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late.  Now  I'll  go 
home.  I  must  go  some  time,  and  I  might  as 
well  go  now  as  an  hour  later.  Besides,  mother 
will  be  uneasy  if  I  am  not  there  in  time  for 


OSCAR  AND   HIS   TROUBLES.  39 

dinner.  Let's  look  this  matter  squarely  in  the 
face,  and  see  what  is  to  be  done  about  it." 

Oscar  had  just  found  out  that  he  was  com- 
pletely chilled  through.  He  buttoned  his 
coat,  pulled  his  collar  iip  around  his  ears, 
thrust  his  hands  deep  into  his  pockets,  and  set 
out  to  retrace  his  steps  to  the  village. 

Oscar  Preston  could  remember  the  day 
when  he  was  as  popular  among  the  boys  of 
his  native  town  as  his  father,  during  his  life- 
time, had  been  among  them.  Mr.  Preston 
had  been  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  was  at 
one  time  thought  to  be  well  off  in  the  world. 
He  owned  the  house  in  which  he  lived,  and 
had  a  small  balance  at  the  banker's  ;  but  one 
day  he  fell  off  the  very  church  whose  bell  had 
just  aroused  Oscar  from  his  reverie,  receiving 
injuries  which  confined  him  to  his  bed  for 
more  than  a  year,  and  finally  resulted  in  his 
death. 

During  his  long  illness  his  savings  rapidly 
dwindled  away,  and  at  last  he  found  it  neces- 
sary to  mortgage  his  home  in  order  to  obtain 
money  to  support  his  family  and  pay  his 
heavy  doctors'  bills. 


40       T\VO    WAYS    OF    BECOMING    A    IIUXTKR. 

At  the  time  this  happened.  Oscar  was  a 
student  at  the  high  school,  and  his  older 
brother,  Tom,  was  cashier  and  book-keeper  in 
Smith  &  Anderson's  store.  His  salary  was 
small,  but  still  he  might  have  saved  something 
to  assist  his  father  in  his  extremity  if  he  had 
been  so  inclined.  Tom,  however,  was  wholly 
devoted  to  himself,  and  cared  for  nothing  but 
his  own  pleasure. 

He  thought  more  of  horses  and  good  clothes 
than  he  did  of  anything  else,  and  his  money, 
as  fast  as  he  earned  it,  went  into  the  pockets 
of  the  tailor  and  the  proprietor  of  the  livery 
stable. 

Oscar  was  the  only  one  who  could  be  de- 
pended on,  and  he  was  prompt  to  do  what 
he  could.  He  left  school,  and,  through  the 
iniluence  of  friends,  obtained  a  situation  as 
clerk  in  the  same  store  in  which  his  brother 
was  employed.  He  worked  faithfully,  and 
every  dollar  of  the  pittance  he  earned  was 
placed  in  his  mother's  hands  ;  he  never  spent 
a  cent  of  it  for  himself. 

Mr.  Preston's  death  was  a  severe  blow  to 
Oscar's  mother;  but  she  had  another  hard 


OSCAR  AND   HIS   TROUBLES.  41 

trial  in  store  for  her.  In  less  than  six  months 
after  he  died  Tom  suddenly  disappeared, 
taking  with  him  three  thousand  dollars  that 
did  not  belong  to  him.  He  had  now  been 
gone  two  weeks,  and  his  employers  had 
just  completed  the  work  of  examining  his 
accounts. 

During  these  two  weeks  a  great  change  had 
taken  place  in  Oscar.  He  noticed  that  a  good 
many  of  the  village  people,  who  had  had  a 
smile  or  a  nod  for  him  in  happier  days,  never 
noticed  him  now.  One  or  two  of  the  clerks 
in  the  store  would  hardly  speak  to  him,  and 
at  last  his  employers  had  discharged  him 
because  they  were  unwilling  to  allow  any  of 
their  money  to  pass  through  his  hands.  This 
was  the  worst  part  of  the  whole  miserable 
business. 

Oscar  had  never  told  his  mother  how  he  was 
shunned  by  some  of  his  former  friends,  for 
she  had  trouble  enough  of  her  own  to  bear ; 
but  this  was  something  he  could  not  keep 
from  her. 

"Mr.  Smith  has  been  down  on  me  ever  since 
Tom  ran  away,"  said  Oscar  to  himself,  after 


42       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

he  had  thought  the  matter  over.  "I  have 
seen  it  plainly  enough ;  and,  if  I  could  only 
step  into  another  situation  somewhere,  I 
should  be  glad  to  leave  him.  But  when  I  ask 
a  man  for  work,  and  he  wants  to  know  why  I 
was  discharged,  what  shall  I  say?  That's 
what  hurts  me." 

"Here  you  are,  Oscar! "  exclaimed  a  cheery 
voice,  breaking  in  upon  his  meditations.  "It 
is  easier  riding  than  walking.  Jump  in." 

An  elegant  top-buggy,  drawn  by  a  stylish, 
high-stepping  horse,  dashed  up  beside  the 
boy,  and  the  gentleman  who  was  driving  drew 
his  reins  with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he 
threw  back  the  heavy  lap-robe  so  that  the  boy 
could  get  in.  It  was  Mr.  Parker — Leon's  father. 

"  I  am  obliged  to  you,  but  I  believe  I  would 
rather  walk,"  was  Oscar's  reply. 

"  But  I  am  not  going  to  let  you  walk,"  said 
the  gentleman,  almost  sternly.  "Jump  in 
here." 

Oscar  was  forced  to  smile  in  spite  of  him- 
self ;  but  it  was  a  sickly  smile,  that  did  not 
fail  to  attract  the  lawyer's  attention. 

"Now,   then,"  he  continued,  after  the  boy 


OSCAR   AND   HIS   TROUBLES.  43 

had  seated  himself  by  his  side  and  tucked  the 
lap-robe  about  him,  "  what  brought  you  so  far 
into  the  country  this  cold  day,  without  your 
overcoat  ?  and  what  is  the  matter  with  you  ? 
You  look  as  though  you  had  lost  your  best 
friend." 

"  And  so  I  have,  Mr.  Parker,"  replied  Oscar 
sadly.  "Mr.  Smith  gave  me  my  walking- 
papers  this  morning." 

"He  did?"  exclaimed  the  lawyer,  opening 
his  eyes.  "  What  reason  did  he  give  ? " 

"  He  says  he  is  going  to  reduce  expenses 
because  times  are  so  hard,"  answered  Oscar. 
"But  I  know  that  there  is  something  back 
of  that,  for  he  wouldn't  give  me  a  letter  of 
recommendation. ' ' 

"He  wouldn't?" 

"No,  sir;  he  wouldn't.  I  asked  him  for 
one,  and  he  said  he  couldn't  give  it  to  me. 
He  has  looked  crossways  at  me  ever  since  Tom 
has  been  gone.  He  thinks  that  because  my 
brother  abused  the  confidence  the  firm  placed 
in  him,  I  may  abuse  it,  too." 

"  Whew  !  "  whistled  the  lawyer. 

"My  discharge  could  not  have  come  at  a 


44       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

worse  time,"  said  Oscar.  "  I  shall  have  to 
make  a  payment  on  that  mortgage  before  long, 
and  how  am  I  going  to  do  it  now  that  I  am 
thrown  out  of  employment  ?  If  there  were  a 
dozen  storekeepers  in  town  who  wanted  a 
clerk,  they  would  not  hire  me  under  the  cir- 
cumstances." 

Mr.  Parker  fastened  his  eyes  upon  the  little 
gilt  ball  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  church-spires 
in  the  distance,  and  made  no  reply. 

"I  have  been  told  more  than  once  that  old 
Simpson  is  a  sharper,  and  that  I  had.  better 
look  out  for  him,"  continued  Oscar.  "He  is 
always  ready  to  lend  money  on  mortgages  to 
people  who,  he  thinks,  will  never  be  able  to 
repay  it,  and  as  soon  as  it  becomes  due,  he 
forecloses  and  sells  them  out  of  house  and 
home.  He  owns  a  dozen  farms  about  the  vil- 
lage, and  he  has  got  them  all  in  that  way. 
When  father  died,  he  told  two  or  three  men  in 
town  that  he  would  own  our  house  some  day. 
It  is  worth  four  thousand  dollars,  with  the  lot 
on  which  it  stands,  and  the  mortgage  is  only 
five  hundred." 

The  lawyer  kept  his  gaze  directed  toward 


OSCAR   AND   HIS   TROUBLES.  45 

the  distant  spire,  and  said  not  a  word  until  lie 
drove  into  the  village  and  reached  the  street  in 
which  Oscar  lived.  Then  he  drew  up  beside 
thy  curbstone,  and  as  the  boy  was  about  to  get 
out  of  the  carriage,  he  laid  his  hand  upon  his 
shoulder  and  said  impressively  : 

''Remember  this,  Oscar:  Heaven  always 
helps  those  who  help  themselves.  Don't  give 
up." 

"Oh,  I'll  never  give  up!"  was  the  quick 
reply.  "There  must  be  something  in  this 
town  for  me  to  do,  and  if  there  is,  I'll  find  it 
before  I  sleep  soundly.  I  hope  you  will  be- 
lieve me,  Mr.  Parker,  when  I  assure  you  that 
I  have  not  done  one  single  thing  since  I  have 
been  in  that  store  that  I  am  unwilling  my 
mother  should  know." 

"I  do  believe  you,  Oscar,"  said  the  lawyer 
encouragingly.  "  I  have  all  faith  in  you.  Mr. 
Smith  may  find  out  one  of  these  days  that  he 
has  made  a  great  mistake.  Keep  up  a  good 
heart,  and  you  will  come  out  all  right  in  the 
end." 

The  accents  of  kindness  touched  the  boy's 
heart.  His  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and,  without 


46       TWO    WAYS    OF    BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

stopping  to  thank  the  lawyer  for  his  words  of 
cheer,  he  turned  about  and  hurried  toward 
home,  while  Mr.  Parker  reined  his  horse  away 
from  the  curbstone  and  drove  on  down  the 
street. 

He  stopped  in  front  of  Smith  &  Anderson's 
store,  and  made  his  way  into  the  office,  where 
he  found  the  senior  partner  seated  on  his  high 
stool,  busy  with  his  books.  The  two  men  ex- 
changed greetings,  made  a  few  remarks  con- 
cerning the  weather,  and  then  Mr.  Parker  told 
the  grocer  why  he  had  come  there. 

"  I  understand  that  yon  paid  Oscar  Preston 
off  this  morning,"  said  he.  "  Now,  I  am  some- 
what interested  in  that  boy,  for  it  was  through 
my  influence  that  he  obtained  a  place  in  your 
store,  and  I'd  like  to  know  what  is  the  matter 
with  him.  What  is  he  guilty  of  2 " 

"  We  haven't  been  able  to  fasten  any  guilt 
npon  him,"  answered  Mr.  Smith.  "  We  only 
suspect  him." 

'•  Of  what  ?  "  asked  the  visitor. 

"Now  see  here,  Mr.  Parker,"  exclaimed  the 
grocer,  "  suppose  you  had  a  clerk  working  for 
you  for  twenty  dollars  a  month,  out  of  which 


OSCAR   AND    HIS   TROUBLES.  47 

lie  was  obliged  to  support  his  mother  and  pay 
taxes  on  a  property  worth  four  or  five  thousand 
dollars,  and  that  clerk  should  come  to  your 
office  every  day  dressed  in  better  clothes  than 
you  wear,  and  looking  as  though  he  had  just 
come  out  of  some  lady's  band-box,  what  would 
you  think?" 

"  Oho  !  "  cried  the  lawyer.  "  Because  Oscar 
takes  pains  to  keep  himself  as  neat  as  a  new 
pin,  you  suspect  him  of  till-tapping,  do  you  ? 
I  can  set  your  fears  on  that  score  at  rest.  In 
the  first  place,  his  mother  makes  all  his  clothes, 
and  the  boy  has  no  tailor's  bills  to  pay.  In  the 
next  place,  I  have  known  him  to  make  more 
money  in  a  single  week,  in  a  little  work-shop 
he's  got  at  home,  than  you  paid  him  for  a 
month's  services.  He  is  the  most  expert  taxi- 
dermist I  ever  saw.  I  have  a  case  of  birds  in 
my  house  now  for  which  I  paid  him  forty  dol- 
lars." 

"  If  he  is  making  money  as  fast  as  that,  why 
can't  he  keep  his  hands  out  of  my  drawer?" 
demanded  the  grocer. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  he  has  been 
stealing;?"  exclaimed  Mr.  Parker. 


48       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTER. 

"  I  mean  to  tell  you  that  somebody  has  been 
stealing  !  "  was  the  reply. 

"  Perhaps  it  was  Tom.  A  young  man  who 
will  make  false  entries  in  his  books  would  not 
be  above  taking  money  out  of  the  drawer/' 

"  No,  it  wasn'  t  Tom.  We  have  missed  money 
since  he  went  away." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  can  look  into  Oscar's 
face  and  think  him  dishonest,"  said.  Mr. 
Parker,  who  was  very  much  surprised.  "  I 
would  suspect  any  of  your  clerks  before  I 
would  suspect  him." 

"Well,  /  wouldn't.  They  have  all  been 
with  me  for  a  number  of  years,  and  I  have 
never  seen  anything  wrong  with  them.  I  watch 
my  clerks  pretty  closely,  too." 

"Then  I  don' t  suppose  it  would  be  of  any  use 
for  me  to  ask  you  to  take  Oscar  back,"  said 
the  lawyer,  as  he  rose  and  drew  on  his  gloves. 

"It  would  be  of  no  use  whatever,"  was  the 
prompt  and  decided  reply.  "I  can't  trust 
him,  and  I  don't  want  him  to  touch  any  more 
of  my  money.  I  am  certain  that  some  of  it 
has  stuck  to  his  fingers." 

"That  settles  the  matter.     But  mark   my 


OSCAR    AND   HIS   TROUBLES.  49 

words.  You  will  one  day  discover  that  you 
have  done  that  boy  very  great  injustice. 
Good-day,  sir  !  " 

"  If  I  do,  I  shall  make  him  all  the  reparation 
in  my  power,"  said  the  grocer.  "  Good-da y, 
Mr.  Parker!" 

The  lawyer  was  disappointed,  but  he  was 
not  discouraged.  He  did  not  get  into  his 
carriage  agnin  immediately,  but  walked  the 
whole  length  of  the  business  portion  of  the 
street,  entering  several  stores  and  calling  upon 
some  of  his  professional  friends.  He  had  a 
good  word  to  say  for  the  discharged  clerk 
wherever  he  stopped,  and  the  result  was  made 
apparent  that  very  afternoon. 

Meanwhile,  Oscar,  all  unconscious  of  the 
efforts  that  were  being  put  forth  in  his  behalf, 
was  making  all  haste  to  reach  home.  It  was 
long  past  the  dinner  hour,  and  he  knew  that 
his  mother  would  wonder  at  his  absence. 

She  opened  the  door  for  him  as  he  stepped 
upon  the  porch,  and  although  he  tried  to  smile 
and  look  as  cheerful  and  happy  as  usual,  she 
saw  in  a  moment  that  there  was  something 
the  matter  with  him. 
4 


CHAPTER  IT. 

THE   YOUXG   TAXIDKKMIST. 

""TTTHAT  is  it,  Oscar?"  said  Mrs.  Preston, 
V  V  while  an  expression  of  anxiety  settled 
on  her  pale  face.  "  Oscar,  what  has  hap- 
pened 2" 

"Nothing  much,  mother,"  replied  the  boy. 
"I  am  discharged.  That's  all.  Is  dinner 
ready?" 

"  O  Oscar!  "  exclaimed  his  mother. 

"It's  a  fact.  Mr.  Smith  wants  to  bring 
down  his  expenses,  and,  as  I  was  the  youngest 
clerk,  of  course  I  had  to  go." 

He  said  nothing  about  the  grocers  refusal 
to  give  him  the  letter  of  recommendation  for 
which  he  had  applied.  That  was  his  own 
trouble,  and  he  would  not  burden  his  mother 
with  it. 

"Don't  look  so  sober.  We  have  funds 
enough  in  the  bank  to  support  us  for  a  few 
months,  and  there  are  fifteen  dollars  more," 


u 


THE   YOUNG   TAXIDERMIST.  51 

he  a cLled,  handing  oat  the  money  he  had  re- 
ceived from  Mr.  Smith. 

"But  you  know  we  were  saving  that  to 
make  the  first  payment  on  the  mortgage,"  said 
Mrs.  Preston  anxiously. 

"Yes,  I  know  :  and  perhaps  we  will  use  it 
for  that  purpose  yet.  I  shall  start  out  as  soon 
as  I  get  something  to  eat,  and  hunt  up  a  situ- 
ation. Is  dinner  ready?  I  have  brought 
home  a  good  appetite." 

And  Oscar  thought  he  had.  But  when  he 
found  himself  seated  at  the  table  in  the  cosey 
little  dining  room,  with  a  substantial  and  well- 
cooked  dinner  before  him,  he  discovered  that 
he  did  not  want  anything  to  eat. 

He  forced  down  a  few  mouthfuls,  then  put 
on  his  overcoat,  kissed  his  mother  good-by,  and 
went  out. 

But  where  should  he  go  ?  That  was  the 
question.  There  were  but  three  grocery 
stores  in  town,  and  he  knew  that  they  were 
supplied  with  all  the  clerks  they  needed.  If 
the  truth  must  be  told,  he  did  not  expect  to 
obtain  another  situation. 

But  it  would  never  do,  he  told  himself,  to 


52       TWO    WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A    JIUXTKR. 

give  up  without  making  an  effort  ;  and, 
besides,  he  felt  much  better  while  he  was  stir- 
ring about  in  the  open  air  than  he  would  have 
felt  if  he  had  remained  at  home  and  mourned 
over  his  hard  luck. 

When  he  reached  Main  Street,  he  could  not 
muster  up  courage  enough  to  enter  a  single 
one  of  the  stores  at  which  he  had  determined 
to  apply  for  work.  Who  would  hire  a  boy 
that  had  been  refused  a  letter  of  recommenda- 
tion by  his  last  employer  ? 

While  he  was  turning  this  question  over  in 
his  mind,  someone  called  out : 

"  Hallo,  there  !  You're  just  the  boy  I  want 
to  see.  Come  in  here." 

Oscar  turned,  and  found  that  he  had  been 
hailed  by  Mr.  Jackson,  the  village  druggist — 
a  fat,  jolly  man,  who  seemed  to  carry  an 
atmosphere  of  cheerfulness  with  him  wherever 
he  went. 

He  gave  the  boy's  hand  a  tremendous  grip 
and  shake,  after  which  he  led  him  through 
the  store  into  the  office,  pushed  him  into  a 
chair,  and  seated  himself  in  another. 

"Well,   Oscar,"   said  he,  "I  haven't  seen 


THE   YOUNG   TAXIDERMIST.  53 

you  for  a  long  time.  How  does  the  world  use 
you!" 

"The  world  uses  me  well  enough,"  replied 
Oscar;  "but  some  of  the  people  in  it  might 
treat  me  a  little  better  if  they  were  so 
inclined." 

"  Yes  ;  there  are  a  good  many  people  about 
us  who  seem  to  be  of  no  earthly  use  here 
except  to  get  themselves  and  others  into 
trouble,"  said  the  druggist;  "and  when  we 
meet  any  of  them,  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is 
to  attend  to  our  own  business  and  pay  no 
attention  to  them." 

"  But  what  shall  a  fellow  do  when  he  has 
no  business  of  his  own  to  attend  to?"  asked 
Oscar. 

Mr.  Jackson  laughed  so  loudly  and  heartily 
that  the  boy  was  obliged  to  laugh,  too. 

"  I  know  what  you  mean  by  that,"  said  the 
former.  "  I  heard  this  morning  that  Mr. 
Smith  had  discharged  you,  and  if  I  were  in 
your  place,  I  should  be  glad  of  it.  I  guess  he 
didn't  pay  you  much." 

"  No,  sir  ;  but  the  little  he  did  pay  me  was 
very  acceptable.  In  fact,  I  don' t  see  how  I 


54       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

can  get  on  without  it.  I  must  find  another 
situation  to-day,  if  it  is  a  possible  thing."' 

"  Well,  you  might  as  well  give  up  the  idea, 
for  it  isn't  possible,"  answered  the  druggist. 
"I'll  warrant  that  Smith  has  had  half  a  dozen 
applications  for  your  place  already.  K"ow, 
while  you  are  waiting  for  something  to  turn 
up,  why  can't  you  do  a  little  job  of  work  for 
me  ?  I  want  a  case  of  birds,  to  put  in  my  din- 
ing room — something  like  the  one  you  sold 
Parker,  only  different,  you  know  ;  that  fs, 
different  birds  and  different  groupings — if 
that's  the  way  to  express  it." 

Oscar  straightened  up  in  his  chair  at  once. 
It  was  astonishing  what  a  change  these  few 
words  made  in  his  feelings. 

"I  believe  Parker  paid  you  forty  dollars 
for  that  case  of  his,  didn't  he?"  continued 
the  druggist.  "Well,  I'm  willing  to  pay  the 
same  price  for  one  equally  as  good.  How 
long  will  it  take  you  to  put  it  up  for  me  ? " 

"About  a  week.  I  have  all  the  birds  I  need  ; 
they  are  a  fine  lot,  too,  if  I  do  say  it  my- 
self— but  I  must  make  the  case,  YOU  know." 

'       V 

"  All  right !    Go  to  work  as  soon  as  you 


THE    YOUNG   TAXIDERMIST.  55 

please.  When  it  is  finished,  take  it  to  my 
house — Mrs.  Jackson  will  show  you  where  to 
put  it — and  come  here  for  your  money.  Re- 
member, now,  that  I  want  nothing  but  game- 
birds.  I  don't  care  for  snow-birds  and 
canaries,  like  those  you  put  in  Parker's 
case." 

"  They  were  not  canaries,"  said  Oscar,  who 
could  hardly  help  smiling  at  the  jolly  man's 
ignorance  of  natural  history.  "They  were 
gold-finches — the  little  fellows  you  sometimes 
see  picking  the  seeds  out  of  thistles." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Mr.  Jackson.  "  Well,  I  don't 
want  any  of  'em.  I  want  nothing  but  game- 
birds." 

"I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  can't  fill  the 
order  that  way,"  replied  Oscar.  "The  bot- 
tom of  the  case  won't  hold  all  the  birds  I 
intend  to  give  you." 

"You  needn't  put  them  all  on  the  bottom. 
Stand  them  up  in  a  tree,  the  way  you  did 
Parker's.  The  wood-cock,  snipe,  and  plover 
are  small  birds,  and  they  could  go  up  there  as 
well  as  not." 

It  was  now  Oscar's  turn  to  laugh. 


56       TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING    A    HUVJEII. 

44 1  can  put  a  grouse  in  the  tree,"  said  he  ; 
"but  who  ever  heard  of  a  snipe  or  wood-cock 
in  such  a  situation  ?  Those  birds  are  not 
perchers  or  climbers  ;  they  are  waders,  and 
live  wholly  on  the  ground." 

"  Oh  !  ah  !  "  said  Mr.  Jackson,  settling  back 
in  his  chair  with  an  air  which  said  that  Oscar 
had  not  mide  matters  much  clearer  to  him  by 
his  explanation.  "  But  I'll  tell  you  what's  a 
fact,"  he  added,  straightening  up  again  as  a 
bright  idea  struck  him — "  I  know  I  have  seen 
quails  in  trees." 

"So  have  I;  but  it  was  only  when  they 
were  pursued  by  some  animal,  such  as  a  dog 
or  fox.  If  I  should  put  any  quails  in  your 
tree  I'd  have  to  account  for  their  presence 
there  by  putting  a  fox  on  the  bottom  of  the 
case,  and  he  would  take  up  too  much  room." 

"Well,  Oscar,"  said  the  druggist,  after 
thinking  a  moment,  "  I  guess  you  understand 
your  business  better  than  I  do.  Fix  up  the 
case  to  suit  yourself,  and  I  shall  be  satisfied." 

Just  then  the  front  door  opened,  and  a 
couple  of  ladies  came  in.  Mr.  Jackson  hur- 
ried out  to  wait  upon  them,  while  Oscar,  who 


THE   YOUNG   TAXIDERMIST.  57 

was  in  a  great  hurry  to  earn  those  forty 
dollars,  buttoned  his  overcoat  and  left  the 
store. 

His  face  was  fairly  radiant  with  joy,  and  so 
completely  was  he  wrapped  up  in  his  own 
thoughts  that  he  did  not  see  the  gentleman 
who,  after  trying  in  vain  to  avoid  a  collision 
with  him,  finally  seized  him  by  the  arm  and 
held  him  fast. 

"Why,  Oscar,  I  thought  it  was  you  ! "  ex- 
claimed the  gentleman.  "How  do  you  do? 
By  the  way,"  he  added,  without  giving  the 
boy  a  chance  to  reply,  "have  you  any  more 
of  those  horned  owls  that  you  stuffed  last 
winter?" 

"  No,  sir ;  they  are  all  sold,"  answered 
Oscar. 

"  What  did  you  get  apiece  for  them  ?  " 

"Three  dollars." 

"Well,  now,  I  want  one  of  them  to  put  into 
a  little  niche  at  the  head  of  my  stairway," 
continued  the  gentleman.  "  If  you  will  shoot 
one  for  me,  and  mount  it,  I'll  give  you  three 
dollars  for  it." 

"I  am  afraid    I    can't  do  it,   Mr.    Shaw. 


58       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

They  are  very  scarce  ;  and  those  I  shot  last 
winter  I  found  by  accident." 

"  Then  get  up  a  little  earlier  in  the  morning 
and  hunt  a  little  later  at  night,  and  I'll  give 
you  five  dollars.  If  you  succeed,  bring  the 
bird  around,  and  your  money  is  ready." 

"I'll  do  my  best.  Now  I'll  just  tell  you 
what's  the  truth,"  said  Oscar  to  himself,  as 
he  pulled  his  collar  up  around  his  ears,  and 
once  more  turned  his  face  toward  home. 
"I've  got  some  friends  yet.  I  can  make  the 
first  payment  on  that  mortgage,  interest  and 
all,  and  have  a  little  money  left  to  keep  us  in 
fuel  and  provisions  until  I  can  earn  more. 
Two  orders  in  one  day  !  They  came  in  just  at 
the  right  time,  too.  I  haven't  had  a  chance  to 
sell  a  bird  before  for  six  months." 

Oscar  did  not  know  that  the  orders  he  had 
just  received  had  been  obtained  for  him  that 
morning  through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Parker. 

If  he  had  known  it,  he  would  have  lost  no 
time  in  hunting  up  his  benefactor  and  thank- 
ing him  for  the  interest  he  took  in  his  welfare. 

But  attributing  his  unexpected  stroke  of 
fortune  to  his  good  luck,  which  he  believed 


THE   YOUNG   TAXIDERMIST.  59 

had  not  yet  wholly  deserted  him,  he  walked 
homeward  with  a  light  heart ;  and  the  smile 
he  carried  into  his  mother's  presence  was  in- 
stantly reflected  from  her  own  face. 

"Yes,  I  have  found  work,"  said  lie,  in  reply 
to  her  inquiring  look.  "I've  a  chance  to 
make  as  much  money  in  a  week  as  I  could 
have  made  in  the  store  in  two  months.  Mr. 
Jackson  wants  a  case  of  birds  something  like 
the  one  I  sold  Mr.  Parker,  and  Mr.  Shaw 
wants  a  horned  owl.  I  am  not  certain  that  I 
shall  be  able  to  fill  the  last  order,  for  an  owl  is 
a  bird  you  can't  find  every  day;  but  I  shall 
do  my  best,  for  a  live-dollar  bill  is  worth  try- 
ing for." 

Oscar  ran  upstairs  to  his  room,  and  when  he 
came  down  again  he  was  dressed  for  work. 

Taking  a  bunch  of  keys  from  a  nail  in  the 
kitchen,  he  hurried  through  the  wood-shed 
and  paused  in  front  of  the  door  leading  into 
his  workshop. 

As  he  inserted  one  of  the  keys  into  the  lock, 
a  loud  bay  of  welcome  arose  from  the  inside, 
and  when  he  opened  the  door,  Bugle,  the 
finest  fox-hound  that  had  ever  been  seen  about 


60       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTEB. 

Eaton,  crawled  out  from  his  warm  bed  under 
the  work-bench,  and  after  hizily  stretching 
himself,  jumped  up  and  placed  his  forepaws 
on  his  master's  shoulders. 

Bugle  was  a  well-trained  hunting-dog,  and 
so  fond  was  he  of  following  his  favorite  game 
that  his  master  was  obliged  to  lock  him  np  in 
the  shop  every  morning. 

The  hound  would  stay  about  the  house  in 
perfect  contentment  so  long  as  Oscar  was 
there  ;  but  when  the  latter  went  to  school  or 
to  the  store,  Bugle  would  soon  grow  lonely, 
and  then  he  would  hunt  the  town  over  to  find 
someone  with  a  gun  on  his  shoulder. 

If  he  succeeded  in  his  object,  he  would  stick 
close  to  that  man's  side,  and  if  the  man  went 
to  the  woods,  Bugle  would  go  also,  and  run 
foxes  for  him  with  as  much  zeal  and  persever- 
ance as  he  exhibited  in  working  for  his 
master. 

If  he  could  not  find  anyone  who  was  going 
hunting,  he  would  start  out  alone,  and  some- 
times he  would  be  gone  two  or  three  days. 

He  could  not  hunt  foxes  to  any  advantage 
by  himself,  for  there  was  need  for  someone  to 


THE   YOUNG   TAXIDERMIST.  61 

stand  on  the  runways  and  shoot  the  game  as  it 
passed  ;  but  sometimes  he  succeeded  in  dig- 
ging a  hare  out  of  a  rotten  log  in  which  it  had 
taken  refuge,  and  he  always  brought  the  game 
home  to  show  that  his  day's  work  had  not 
been  thrown  away. 

Oscar  did  not  like  this  roving  disposition  on 
the  part  of  his  favorite,  and,  as  two  or  three 
attempts  had  been  made  to  steal  the  hound, 
he  thought  it  best  to  keep  him  under  lock  and 
key. 

Oscar's  work-shop  was  a  clean,  well-lighted 
apartment,  and  in  it  the  boy  had  spent  many 
a  stormy  Saturday  while  he  was  a  student 
at  the  high  school ;  but  since  he  had  been 
employed  in  the  store,  he  had  done  but  little 
work  there,  for  his  time  was  fully  occupied 
from  seven  in  the  morning  until  nine  and 
sometimes  ten  o'clock  at  night. 

He  was  glad  to  find  himself  there  once  more, 
for  he  felt  as  if  he  were  among  friends  from 
whom  he  had  long  been  separated. 

The  side  of  the  room  opposite  the  door  was 
occupied  by  a  carpenter's  bench,  on  which 
were  several  specimens  of  Oscar's  handiwork, 


62       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

such  as  jointed  bass-rods,  models  of  yachts 
(both  sloop-  and  schooner-rigged),  and  also  a 
neat  little  centre-table,  which  needed  only 
the  staining  and  polishing  to  make  it  ready 
to  take  its  place  in  his  mother's  sitting 
room. 

At  the  lower  end  of  the  bench  wajs  a  cur- 
tain, reaching  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor. 
Oscar  drew  aside  this  curtain,  revealing  a 
little  recess  about  ten  feet  square,  two  sides  of 
which  were  fitted  up  with  shelves.  At  the 
end  opposite  the  curtain  was  a  wide  window, 
and  under  it  was  a  table  filled  with  little 
boxes,  containing  glass  eyes  and  an  assort- 
ment of  tools  such  as  taxidermists  use.  The 
shelves  were  filled  with  stuffed  birds  and 
animals. 

The  most  prominent  object  in  the  collection 
was  a  magnificent  gray  eagle,  which  leaned 
forward  on  his  perch,  with  his  wings  half 
raised,  his  neck  stretched  out,  and  his  eyes 
fastened  upon  a  plump  mallard  standing  on 
one  foot  in  the  corner  below  him,  with  his  bill 
buried  under  his  wing,  and  his  eyes  closed  as 
if  he  were  fast  asleep  ;  and  so  life-like  did  the 


THE    YOrNG    TAXIDERMIST.  63 

engle  look  that  one  almost  expected  to  see 
him  leap  from  his  perch  and  bear  the  duck  off 
in  his  talons. 

There  were  hawks,  blue-jays,  crows,  snow- 
buntirigs,  grouse,  quails,  snipes,  cednr-birds, 
and  gold  finches  upon  the  shelves  ;  in  fact, 
almost  all  the  varieties  of  the  feathered  crea- 
tion which  were  to  be  found  in  the  woods 
about  Eaton  were  here  represented.  And 
they  were  all  arranged  with  artistic  taste,  too. 

Oscar  had  carefully  studied  the  habits  of 
every  bird  and  animal  he  hunted,  and  in  his 
collection  there  was  not  one  that  was  awk- 
wardly mounted,  or  that  was  placed  in  a  posi- 
tion which  the  bird  or  animal  would  not  have 
assumed  during  his  life-time. 

A  red  fox,  on  the  lower  shelf,  was  creeping 
along  in  a  crouching  attitude,  evidently  medi- 
tating an  attack  upon  a  wild  goose,  which  stood 
a  little  distance  away,  engaged  in  arranging  its 
plumage  ;  a  snowy  owl  watched  with  wide  and 
solemn  eyes  a  gray  squirrel  sitting  upon  its 
haunches  and  gnawing  its  way  into  a  liickory- 
nut,  which  it  held  between  its  fore-paws  ;  a 
butcher-bird  wras  engaged  in  its  usual  occupa- 


64       TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A    I1UNTKK. 

tion  of  impaling  an  insect  upon  a  thorn  ;  a 
hawk  was  about  to  begin  a  meal  upon  an  un- 
fortunate quail  it  had  just  captured  ;  a  mink 
had  its  eyes  fastened  upon  a  hare  which  was 
sitting  comfortably  in  its  form  ;  a  ruffed  grouse 
— the  last  object  Oscar  had  mounted — was 
standing  up  as  straight  as  an  arrow,  evidently 
watching  the  boy  as  he  came  in. 

This  is  the  position  the  grouse  always  as- 
sumes when  it  is  sitting  in  a  tree  and  sees  a 
hunter  approaching.  It  draws  itself  up  so 
stiffly,  and  remains  so  motionless,  that  the 
sportsman  often  mistakes  it  for  a  part  of  the 
limb  on  which  it  is  sitting,  and  passes  on  with- 
out trying  a  shot  at  it. 

The  birds  were  all  mounted  on  temporary 
perches,  made  by  nailing  two  short  pieces  of 
wood  together  in  the  form  of  the  letter  T,  the 
standard  being  set  into  a  block  about  three 
inches  square,  to  enable  them  to  retain  an  up- 
right position. 

They  were  fastened  to  the  perch  by  the  wires 
that  came  down  through  the  legs  and  feet,  and 
as  the  wires  extended  into  the  body  and  as- 
sisted to  keep  the  birds  in  shape,  the  positions 


THE  YOUNG  TAXIDERMIST.  65 

of  the  specimens  could  be  changed  in  an  in- 
stant at  the  will  of  the  taxidermist. 

Oscar  had  killed  and  mounted  every  one  of 
them  himself,  and  took  no  little  pride  in  show- 
ing them  to  his  friends. 


CHAPTER  V. 

OSCAR  RECEIVES  A  LETTER. 

THE  young  taxidermist  walked  over  to  the 
table  and  picked  up  the  grouse.  It  was  a 
perfect  specimen  of  his  work,  and  he  held  it 
off  at  arm's  length  and  admired  it. 

"I'll  put  this  in  Mr.  Jackson's  case,"  said 
he,  as  he  arranged  some  of  the  plumage  with 
a  pair  of  pliers.  "Then  I'll  put  in  a  pair  of 
quails,  two  English  snipes,  two  wood-cock, 
that  young  heron  over  there,  and  they  will  be 
as  many  as  I  can  stand  on  the  bottom  of  the 
case  without  crowding  them  too  much.  Then 
in  the  tree  I'll  put  an  imperial  wood-pecker, 
and — hold  on  !  I've  got  another  gamebird  that 
I  can  put  in  the  tree." 

The  boy  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  thought 
that  had  just  passed  through  his  mind  that  he 
laughed  outright. 

He  put  the  grouse  back  upon  the  table,  and 
took  from  one  of  the  shelves  a  beautiful  bird 

66 


OSCAR    RECEIVES   A    LETTER.  67 

which  was  mounted  on  a  board,  instead  of  a 
perch,  because  it  was  web-footed.  He  looked 
at  it  closely,  and  found  that  it  was  in  as  good 
order  as  when  it  first  came  out  from  under  his 
hands. 

"Yes,  I'll  put  that  in  the  tree,  too,"  said 
lie,  with  another  laugh,  "and  we'll  see  what 
Mr.  Jackson  will  say  when  he  finds  it  there." 

Oscar  passed  along  the  shelves,  taking  down 
one  specimen  after  another,  and  when  he  had 
selected  as  many  as  he  thought  he  could  use 
he  went  into  the  shop,  dropped  the  curtain  to 
its  place,  and,  after  lighting  a  lire  in  the  stove, 
took  some  well-seasoned  boards  from  the  cor- 
ner where  he  had  placed  them  for  safe  keeping, 
and  went  to  work  upon  the  case. 

During  the  next  few  days,  Oscar  toiled  early 
and  late.  Under  his  skilful  hands,  the  case 
grew  in  size  and  shape,  and  when  at  last  it  was 
put  together,  Oscar  thrust  his  hands  into  his 
pockets  and  stood  off  to  make  a  critical  exami- 
nation of  it. 

The  front  was  composed  of  double  glass 
doors,  hung  on  silver-plated  hinges  ;  the  joints 
were  tight  and,  taken  altogether,  it  was  a 


68       TWO   WAYS  OF   BECOMIXG  A   IIUXTEH. 

piece  of  work  with  which  any  cabinet-maker 
would  have  been  entirely  satisfied. 

But  it  was  not  yet  completed.  The  inside 
was  to  be  ornamented  with  a  painting  of  a 
woodland  scene,  and  the  outside  was  to  be 
stained  in  imitation  of  black  walnut. 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  his  work  could 
not  be  improved  in  any  way,  Oscar  put  on  his 
coat,  took  a  small  hand-saw  from  the  bench, 
and  turning  the  key  upon  the  sleeping  Bugle, 
who  lay  behind  the  stove,  dreaming  of  fox- 
hunts past  and  to  come,  he  bent  his  steps 
toward  the  nearest  piece  of  woods. 

When  he  came  back  again,  an  hour  later,  he 
carried  over  his  shoulder  a  bundle  of  small 
branches  which  he  had  cut  from  hickory  sap- 
lings. Of  these  he  intended  to  make  the  tree 
that  was  to  be  put  up  in  the  case  for  the 
accommodation  of  some  of  the  specimens. 

He  dropped  into  the  post-office  as  he  passed 
by,  on  his  way  home,  not  because  he  expected 
to  find  anything  there,  but  for  the  reason  that 
it  had  become  a  confirmed  habit. 

But  there  was  a  letter  in  his  mother's  box, 
and  when  the  clerk  handed  it  to  him,  he  found 


OSCAR   RECEIVES   A   LETTER.  69 

that  it  was  addressed  to  himself.  He  opened 
it  as  he  walked  along,  and  the  first  thing  he 
took  out  of  the  envelope  was  a  business  card, 
bearing  these  words : 

CALKINS  &  SON, 
No.  126  Court  St.,  Yarmouth. 

Poultry,  Fish,  Game,  and  Furs  sold  011  Commission. 

Liberal  advancements  made  on  consign ineuts. 

A  share  of  the  public  patronage  solicited. 

"Humph!"  said  Oscar,  as  he  thrust  the 
card  carelessly  into  his  pocket.  "  I  don't  see 
what  they  sent  that  to  me  for.  I  can  shoot  all 
the  game  I  want,  and  more,  too.  And  as  for 
fish — if  I  can't  supply  any  three  families  in 
town  during  the  season,  Fll  give  it  up." 

Oscar  next  took  the  letter  out  of  the  enve- 
lope, and  began  reading  it  in  the  same  careless, 
indifferent  way  in  which  he  had  read  the  card  ; 
but,  before  he  had  gone  far,  he  stopped,  went 
back  to  the  beginning,  and  read  it  over  again 
with  more  interest. 

The  letter  ran  as  follows : 

DEAR  SIR  :  We  intend,  during  the  coming  winter,  to 
make  a  specialty  of  small  game  of  all  kinds,  and  we  wish 
to  engage  a  competent  person  in  your  neighborhood, 
where,  as  we  understand,  partridges,  quails,  and  rabbits 


70       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    IIUNTKH. 

are  abundant,  to  shoot  for  our  Yarmouth  market.  We 
will  take  all  you  can  send  us,  and  you  need  have  no  fear 
of  overstocking  us. 

The  accompanying  price-current  will  show  you  how 
the  market  rules  at  the  present  date,  and  by  examining 
it  carefully,  you  will  be  able  to  make  an  estimate  of 
your  probable  earnings,  which  ought  to  be  something 
handsome. 

You  have  been  recommended  to  us  by  a  gentleman  liv- 
ing in  your  vicinity,  and  we  hope  you  will  find  it  to 
your  interest  to  return  a  favorable  reply  at  an  early  day, 
and  begin  work  for  us  at  once.  We  should  like  a  ship- 
ment from  you  immediately.  The  partridges  we  are 
now  selling  come  principally  from  Michigan,  and  the 
demand  far  exceeds  the  supply, 

Yours,  etc., 

CALKINS  &  SON. 

"Well,  I  declare,"  thought  Oscar,  after  he 
had  read  the  letter  over  twice,  in  order  to  fully 
master  the  business  terms  it  contained,  "here's 
another  windfall!  They  don't  want  me  to 
buy  of  them,  as  I  thought  they  did,  but  they 
want  a  chance  to  buy  of  me.  They  shall  have 
it.  I  wonder  what  gentleman  it  was  who  was 
good  enough  to  recommend  me  to  them." 

While  Oscar  was  turning  this  question  over 
in  his  mind,  he  glanced  at  the  price-current 
which  had  been  inclosed  in  the  letter,  and, 
after  noting  the  prices  paid  for  the  various 


OSCAIl    UKCKIVES    A    LETTER.  71 

kinds  of  game  that  were  in  demand  in  the 
Yarmouth  market,  he  replaced  it  in  the  enve- 
lope, and  began  a  little  problem  in  mental 
arithmetic,  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  about 
how  much  his  earnings  would  amount  to 
each  day,  if  he  consented  to  shoot  for  Calkins 
&  Son. 

He  based  his  calculation  upon  the  amount 
of  game  he  had  bagged  during  some  of  his 
previous  hunts,  and  in  this  way  he  obtained  a 
tolerably  fair  idea  of  what  his  profits  would  be. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  he  ran  into  the 
outstretched  arms  of  his  particular  friend 
Sam  Hyries,  who  had  been  home  to  dinner, 
and  was  hurrying  back  to  school. 

"  Hallo,  here!"  exclaimed  Sam.  "You're 
just  the  fellow  I  want  to  see.  What's  that  on 
your  back  \  " 

"  Something  of  which  to  make  a  tree  to 
put  in  a  new  case  of  birds  I  am  setting  up," 
answered  Oscar,  after  he  had  returned  his 
crony's  cordial  greeting. 

"Say,  Oscar,"  continued  Sam,  glancing  up 
at  the  town  clock  to  see  how  main*  minutes  he 
could  spend  in  conversation  and  still  reach  the 


72       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

school-house  before  the  last  bell  rang,  "what 
are  you  going  to  do  next  Saturday  ?  " 

"I  shall  be  quite  at  your  service  on  that 
day,"  replied  Oscar,  who  knew  very  well 
what  the  question  meant.  "Are  they  coming 
in  yet?" 

"By  hundreds!"  exclaimed  Sam,  with 
great  enthusiasm.  "  I  have  been  making  in- 
quiries of  some  farmers  who  live  down  the  river, 
and  they  all  tell  the  same  story.  Hang  that 
string  out  of  your  window,  and  I'll  have  you 
up  at  half-past  three.  We  must  be  on  the 
water  at  the  first  peep  of  day,  you  know. 
Good-by!" 

This  was  all  that  passed  between  the  two 
friends,  but  they  understood  each  other  per- 
fectly. 

Almost  every  boy  has  his  own  way  of  enjoy- 
ing himself,  and  Sam  Hynes  found  all  his  rec- 
reation in  wild-fowl  shooting.  He  went  fish- 
ing sometimes,  because  he  liked  to  be  on  the 
river  ;  but  he  could  see  no  fun  in  jerking  a 
string  up  and  down  in  the  water  all  day,  and 
he  preferred  to  lie  back  in  the  boat  and  watch 
the  clouds  as  they  floated  over  his  head. 


OSCAR   RECEIVES   A   LETTER.  73 

He  could  see  no  sport,  either,  in  tramping 
about  the  woods,  carrying  a  heavy  gun  on  his 
shoulders  ;  but  when  it  came  to  shooting  over 
decoys,  Sam  was  wide  awake  and  perfectly  at 
home. 

He  was  the  best  fellow  in  the  world  to  go 
hunting  with,  too.  If  a  sudden  shower 
drenched  him  to  the  skin,  and  wet  his  powder 
so  that  his  gun  could  not  be  discharged,  if  the 
birds  flew  wild,  and  he  returned  at  night  with 
no  more  game  than  he  had  when  he  started 
out  in  the  morning,  it  was  all  the  same  to  Sam. 
No  one  ever  heard  a  word  of  complaint  from 
him. 

He  knew  how  to  roast  a  duck  over  the  flames 
on  a  forked  stick,  and  could  get  up  so  tempt- 
ing a  dinner  from  the  contents  of  his  lunch- 
basket  that  he  was  in  great  demand  among 
the  young  Nimrods  of  the  village,  and  could 
have  accepted  invitations  for  every  Saturday 
in  the  year,  if  he  had  been  so  disposed.  But 
he  preferred  to  hunt  with  Oscar. 

The  latter  owned  some  very  fine  decoys, 
which  he  had  made  and  painted  himself,  and 
he  knew  how  to  use  them,  too.  More  than 


74       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

that — lie  was  a  very  lucky  young  sportsman, 
and  those  who  went  with  him  seldom  returned 
empty-handed. 

After  taking  leave  of  his  friend,  Oscar  con- 
tinued his  walk  toward  home,  and  before  he 
got  there  he  had  finished  his  problem  in 
mental  arithmetic,  and  arrived  at  the  conclu- 
sion that  he  was  in  a  fair  way  to  extricate  him- 
self from  his  financial  difficulties,  and  that  if 
the  good  luck  that  had  followed  him  ever 
since  he  was  discharged  from  the  store  would 
only  continue  for  one  short  year,  he  would  be 
all  out  of  debt,  and  have  something  in  the 
bank  to  draw  on  in  case  of  emergency. 

When  Oscar  reached  home  he  showed  his 
mother  the  letter  he  had  received,  and  after 
spending  a  few  minutes  in  conversation  with 
her  on  the  subject  of  market-shooting  and  his 
chances  for  making  money  out  of  it,  he  went 
into  his  work-shop  and  resumed  his  work. 

On  Friday  afternoon  the  case  was  completed, 
and  it  was  only  necessary  to  wait  until  the 
paint  on  the  inside  should  become  dry,  so  that 
he  could  put  up  the  tree  he  had  made  and 
place  the  birds  upon  it. 


OSCAU    RECEIVES    A    LETTER.  75 

"It  will  be  dry  to-morrow  night,"  thought 
Oscar,  as  he  stood  with  his  brush  in  his  hand, 
surveying  the  woodland  scene  which  orna- 
mented the  interior  of  the  case,  "and  on 
Monday  morning  I  will  take  it  over  and  see 
what  Mr.  Jackson  has  to  say  about  it.  Well, 
boys,  I  am  glad  to  see  you." 

Just  then  the  door  was  thrown  open  and 
Sam  Hynes  came  rushing  in — he  was  always 
in  a  hurry — followed  by  Miles  Jackson,  the 
nephew  of  the  gentleman  for  whom  the  case  of 
birds  was  intended. 

Sam  had  dropped  in  to  make  sure  that  the 
arrangements  for  the  duck  hunt  on  the  morrow 
were  fully  understood,  and  Miles  had  come 
with  him  to  see  how  Oscar  was  progressing. 

They  did  not  immediately  reply  to  Oscar's 
words  of  greeting,  for  they  were  too  much 
interested  in  what  they  saw  before  them. 

They  looked  at  the  case  on  all  sides,  ad- 
mired the  picture  Oscar  had  just  finished,  and 
then  they  turned  their  attention  to  the  tree, 
which  they  examined  closely. 

"  You  have  got  a  good  fit  on  these  joints," 
said  Sam,  who  was  himself  very  handy  with 


76       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

tools.  "If  you  stand  a  little  way  from  it  you 
would  take  it  for  a  natural  tree.  It  is  almost 
as  good  a  job  as  I  could  have  done  myself. 
What  made  you  drill  all  these  little  holes  in 
the  branches?" 

"The  wires  which  support  the  birds  go 
through  those  holes  and  turn  up  on  the  other 
side,  so  that  they  can't  be  seen,"  answered 
Oscar. 

"Oh,  yes;  I  understand.  Now,  when  do 

you  think What  in  the  world  sent  that 

miserable  fellow  prowling  around  here,  I 
wonder?"  said  Sam,  in  an  undertone,  looking 
at  his  friend  Miles  and  scowling  fierce!}-. 

This  exclamation  was  called  forth  by  the 
opening  of  the  door  and  the  entrance  of  a  boy 
for  whom  Sam  had  of  late  conceived  a  violent 
dislike.  His  name  was  Stuart,  and  he  was 
one  of  the  clerks  in  Smith  &  Anderson's  store. 

The  reason  Sam  disliked  him  was  because 
he  had  heard  from  several  sources  that  Stuart 
had  treated  Oscar  very  rudely  ever  since  Tom 
ran  away  with  his  employers'  money. 

He  would  not  speak  to  Oscar  at  all,  or  even 
look  toward  him  if  he  could  help  it ;  but  he 


OSCAR   RECEIVES   A   LETTER.  77 

had  a  great  deal  to  say  in  his  presence  con- 
cerning thieves  and  defaulting  book-keepers 
and  cashiers. 

"  Stuart  had  better  not  talk  that  way  in  my 
hearing,"  declared  Sam,  one  day,  when  a  lot 
of  school-boys  were  talking  about  Oscar  and 
his  troubles  ;  and  as  he  said  it  he  doubled  up 
a  pair  of  fists  that  \vere  pretty  large  and  heavy 
for  a  boy  of  sixteen.  "Oscar  is  my  friend, 
and  any  fellow  who  says  a  word  against  him 
can  just  scratch  my  name  off  his  good  books. 
Mark  my  words  :  If  there  was  a  dishonest 
clerk  in  that  store,  he's  there  yet ;  and  if 
money  was  missed  from  the  drawer  while 
Oscar  was  employed  there,  it  will  be  missed 
no\v  that  he  is  gone.  Oscar  Preston  never  had 
a  dishonest  penny  in  his  hands." 

If  Sam  had  o\vned  the  shop  he  would  have 
ordered  Stuart  out  of  it  on  the  instant ;  but  as 
he  had  no  right  to  do  that,  he  simply  returned 
the  clerk's  bow,  scowled  savagely  at  his  friend 
Miles,  and  felt  like  giving  Oscar  a  punch  in 
the  ribs  because  he  greeted  Stuart  so  cordially. 

The  new-comer  seemed  surprised  to  find  so 
many  boys  in  the  shop,  and  for  a  minute  or 


78       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

two  he  did  not  speak.  He  stood  with  his  hand 
on  the  latch,  evidently  undecided  whether  to 
go  out  or  come  in.  Finally  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  would  come  in. 

"I  was  out  delivering  goods,"  said  he,  as 
he  closed  the  door  behind  him,  "and  I  thought 
I  would  run  in  for  just  a  moment  and  see  what 
a  taxidermist's  shop  looks  like.  I  have  a 
curiosity  to  see  a  bird  before  it  is  put  up  ready 
for  sale." 

"All  right,"  said  Oscar,  laying  down  his 
paint-brush.  "I  think  I  can  show  you  some 
fine  specimens.  Come  in  here." 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  aside  the  curtain  and 
conducted  his  visitor  into  the  recess,  while 
Sam  showed  what  he  thought  of  such  a  pro- 
ceeding by  picking  up  a  block  of  wood  and 
hitting  the  work-bench  a  savage  blow  with  it. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  AMATEUR  DETECTIVE. 

SCAR  is  too  good  for  any  use,"  said  Sam, 
turning  to  Miles  and  speaking  in  a  low 
whisper.  "  If  Stuart  bad  talked  about  me  as 
I  know  he  has  talked  about  him,  I'd  never 
make  up  with  him  in  that  fashion — never ! 
Let's  go  home  !" 

"Oh,  no!"  whispered  Miles  in  reply.  "I 
haven't  seen  any  birds  yet,  and  neither  have 
you  said  a  word  to  Oscar  about  that  duck 
hunt." 

Sam  pulled  out  his  knife  and  hunted  around 
on  the  bench  until  he  found  a  pine  stick, 
which  he  proceeded  to  cut  up  into  the  smallest 
possible  pieces ;  while  Miles,  after  listening 
to  some  explanations  that  Oscar  was  making 
for  the  benefit  of  the  clerk,  went  into  the  re- 
cess. 

Sam  was  standing  with  his  back  to  the  three 

7'.' 


80       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

boys,  but  he  could  distinctly  see  every  move 
they  made. 

On  the  wall,  opposite  the  curtain,  hung  a 
broken  mirror,  which  had  once  held  an  honored 
place  in  Mrs.  Preston's  parlor. 

Sam  glanced  into  this  mirror  now  and  then, 
while  he  was  engaged  in  cutting  up  his  stick, 
and  saw  that  Stuart  was  paying  very  little  at- 
tention to  what  Oscar  was  saying  to  him. 

He  appeared  to  be  very  uneasy,  for  he  was 
constantly  stepping  about,  and  most  of  the 
time  he  kept  his  eyes  fastened  intently  on 
Sam. 

When  Miles  came  in  and  began  questioning 
Oscar  about  the  specimen  he  was  holding  in 
his  hands,  Stuart  walked  to  the  other  side  of 
the  recess,  ran  his  eye  over  the  stuffed  occu- 
pants of  the  shelves,  and  then  he  came  out 
into  the  shop  and  examined  the  tree  on  which 
Mr.  Jackson's  birds  were  to  be  mounted. 
After  that  he  looked  at  Sam  again. 

The  latter  was  standing  a  little  to  one  side 
of  the  mirror,  with  his  hat  drawn  down  over 
his  forehead,  and  seemed  to  see  nothing  but 
the  stick  he  was  whittling. 


THE    AMATEUR   DETECTIVE.  81 

In  the  work-bench,  directly  under  the  tree, 
was  an  open  drawer  in  which  Oscar  kept  his 
paints,  brushes,  and  various  odds  and  ends. 

Stuart  moved  up  close  beside  this  drawer, 
looked  first  at  Sam,  then  at  Miles  and  Oscar, 
who  were  still  talking  earnestly  in  the  recess, 
and  as  quick  as  thought  pulled  something  out 
of  his  coat  pocket,  raised  a  sheet  of  sand- 
paper that  \&y  on  the  bottom  of  the  drawer, 
and  placed  the  object,  whatever  it  was,  under 
it. 

This  done,  he  backed  up  agaipst  the  drawer, 
and  pushed  it  to  its  place.  He  leaned  on  the 
bench  for  a  few  seconds,  looking  toward 
Oscar,  as  if  he  were  listening  to  what  he  was 
saying,  and  then  suddenly  straightened  up. 

"  I  must  be  going,"  said  he,  starting  toward 
the  door.  "  I  hope  I  haven't  put  you  to  any 
trouble,  Oscar." 

"  None  whatever,"  replied  the  latter. 

And  Sam  noticed,  with  no  little  satisfaction, 
that  he  did  not  ask  the  clerk  to  call  again. 

AVhen  Stuart  closed  the  door  behind  him, 
Sam  shut  up  his  knife  and  slammed  his  stick 
down  in  the  corner.  The  noise  attracted  the 

6 


82       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

attention  of  Miles,  who  looked  over  his 
shoulder,  and  was  surprised  to  see  Sam  hold- 
ing one  forefinger  upon  his  lips,  and  beckoning 
eagerly  to  him  with  the  other. 

Miles  came  out  into  the  shop  with  an  inquir- 
ing look  on  his  face,  while  Oscar  lingered  in 
the  recess  to  arrange  the  plumage  of  one  of 
the  specimens  which  had  become  rumpled 
while  he  was  handling  it. 

Sam  walked  over  to  the  drawer  of  the  work- 
bench and  opened  it,  standing  with  his  back 
toward  Oscar. 

"I  know  now  what  that  rascal  came  here 
for,"  said  he,  in  a  scarcely  audible  whisper, 
"and  I  want  you  for  a  witness." 

"What's  that?"  asked  Miles,  in  his  ordi- 
nary tone  of  voice,  as  his  companion  raised  a 
sheet  of  sand-paper,  and  brought  to  light  the 
article  Stuart  had  placed  there  a  few  minutes 
before. 

"Say  not  a  word,"  cautioned  Sam,  "  but 
come  with  me  and  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it." 

"Don't  you  fellows  know  that  it  is  very 
rude  to  whisper  in  the  presence  of  a  third 
party?"  said  Oscar  gravely.  "I  am  sur- 


THE   AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  83 

prised  at  you.  You  did  it  while  Stuart  was 
in  here,  and  I  should  like  to  know  what  you 
mean  by  it." 

"We  didn't  want  either  of  you  to  know 
what  we  were  talking  about,"  answered  Sam. 
"I  wouldn't  have  treated  him  as  well  as  you 
did,  and  I  don't  think  you  would  have  been 
quite  so  cordial  if  you  knew  as  much  as  we 
know,"  he  added,  with  a  significant  glance  at 
Miles. 

"  Oh,  that's  the  trouble,  is  it?  Never  mind. 
We  were  not  put  here  in  this  world  to  quarrel 
with  everybody  who  doesn'  t  like  us.  If  we  did 
that,  we'd  have  time  for  little  else.  You  are 
not  going?"  said  Oscar,  as  Sam  started  for 
the  door,  with  Miles  close  at  his  heels. 

"  Yes,  we  are.  We  have  some  business  that 
must  be  attended  to  at  once.  I'll  see  you 
again  before  I  go  home." 

Sam  banged  the  door  as  he  ceased  speaking, 
and  walked  through  the  yard  so  rapidly  that 
Miles  could  hardly  keep  pace  with  him. 

When  he  had  closed  the  gate  behind  him, 
he  turned  down  the  sidewalk  and  hurried  on 
faster  than  ever. 


84       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"Hold  up  here,"  protested  Miles.  "You 
said  you  would  tell  me  all  about  it,  and  how 
are  we  going  to  talk  if  you  go  ahead  with 
railroad  speed  ?  What  was  it  you  took  out  of 
that  drawer,  and  what  business  had  you  to 
touch  it  ?  I  thought  it  was  a  pocket-book." 

Sam  stopped  abruptly,  and  drew  the  article 
in  question  from  the  inside  pocket  of  his  coat. 

It  was  a  pocket-book,  and  quite  a  large  one, 
too.  It  was  made  to  carry  bills  at  full  length. 

It  was  filled  with  papers,  but  Sam  did  not 
know  whether  or  not  there  was  any  money  in 
it,  for  he  had  not  opened  it,  and  he  did  not  in- 
tend to  do  so. 

He  placed  his  finger  under  the  silver  clasp 
with  which  it  was  fastened,  and  held  it  up  so 
that  his  friend  could  see  it. 

"  What  name  is  that? "  he  asked. 

"Erastus  Smith,"  replied  Miles. 

"Exactly.  You  saw  me  take  this  pocket- 
book  out  of  that  drawer,  didn't  you  ? " 

"  Of  course  I  did." 

"  Well,  I  know  who  put  it  there,  for  I  saw 
him  do  it." 

Sam  brought   the   pocket-book  down   into 


THE   AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  85 

his  open  palm  with  a  sounding  whack,  and 
looked  at  his  companion  as  if  he  thought  he 
had  made  everything  perfectly  clear  to  him  ; 
but  Miles  only  seemed  bewildered. 

"  I  should  think  you  might  see  through  the 
matter  after  I  have  explained  it  to  you,"  said 
Sam,  with  some  impatience. 

"But  you  haven't  explained  it,"  answered 
Miles. 

"That's  so,"  admitted  Sam,  after  reflecting 
a  moment.  "I'll  do  it  now,  while  we  walk 
along  slowly.  Stuart  put  this  pocket-book  in 
the  drawer — for,  as  I  told  you,  I  saw  him  do 
it.  He  came  into  the  shop  for  that  very  pur- 
pose. He  is  the  fellow  who  has  been  stealing 
Mr.  Smith's  money,  but  he  is  trying  his  level 
best  to  fasten  the  guilt  upon  Oscar." 

"Oh,  I  begin  to  understand  the  matter!" 
said  Miles,  his  face  flushing  with  indignation. 

"  Now  the  credit  for  the  discovery  I  have 
made  does  not  belong  to  me,"  continued  Sam, 
who  was  as  truthful  and  honest  as  he  was 
blunt  and  fearless.  "I  never  should  have 
thought  of  it  if  it  hadn't  been  for  something 
Mr.  Parker  said  to  me.  He  told  me  the  other 


86       TWO   WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

day  that  if  there  had  been  any  stealing  going 
on  in  that  store  since  Tom  Preston  left,  Stuart 
was  the  guilty  one  ;  and  the  reason  Mr.  Parker 
suspected  him  was  because  he  has  had  so  much 
to  say  against  Oscar.  He  has  told  everybody 
in  town  who  would  listen  to  him  that  Oscar 
was  discharged  for  till-tapping ;  and  there 
were  a  good  many  who  would  listen  to  him, 
for  there  are  people  everywhere,  you  know, 
who  take  unbounded  delight  in  hearing  others 
slandered.  I  had  two  reasons  for  watching 
every  move  Stuart  made  while  he  was  in  the 
shop.  I  thought  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to 
keep  an  eye  on  him,  and  I  was  impatient  to 
see  him  start  for  the  door.  I  didn't  want  him 
there." 

"  It  was  a  wonder  he  didn't  see  that  you 
were  watching  him,"  observed  Miles. 

'•Do  you  remember  that  broken  looking- 
glass  that  hangs  on  the  north  wall  of  the 
shop?  "asked  Sam.  "I  looked  in  there  and 
sa\v  everything  he  did." 

Miles  was  astonished  at  his  companion's 
shrewdness,  and  could  only  look  the  admira- 
tion he  felt  for  him. 


TIIK   AMATEUR  DETECTIVE.  87 

"But  what  made  you  rush  out  of  the  shop 
in  such  a  hurry?"  he  inquired  at  length. 
"Why  didn't  you  tell  Oscar  all  about  it,  and 
relieve  his  mind  at  once  ?" 

"Oh,  it  will  not  hurt  him  to  wait  a  day  or 
two  longer,"  rejoined  Sam  ;  "and  his  vindica- 
tion will  be  all  the  more  welcome  when  it  comes, 
as  I  am  determined  it  shall  come,  through  the 
man  who  has  injured  him.  Mr.  Smith  has  done 
Oscar  a  great  deal  of  harm,  and  he  must  lose 
no  time  in  undoing  it.  Now,  then,  here  we 
are." 

Sam  stepped  upon  the  threshold  of  Smith  & 
Anderson's  store,  seized  the  latch  with  a  de- 
termined grip,  as  if  he  were  trying  to  break  it 
in  two,  threw  open  the  door  and  walked  in. 

The  first  person  he  met  was  Stuart,  who 
started  back  in  surprise  at  the  sight  of  him. 
He  was  greatly  alarmed — Sam  could  see  that 
plainly — and  he  tried  to  conceal  it  by  stepping 
briskly  behind  the  counter  and  drawing  the 
order  book  toward  him. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  boys  ?  "  he  asked, 
as  he  held  his  pencil  poised  over  the  book. 

"Nothing,"    growled  Sam,  who   could  not 


88       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    1IUXTEK. 

possibly  have  spoken  civilly  to  one  whom  he 
had  caught  in  the  act  of  trying  to  ruin  his 
friend. 

He  kept  on  his  way  toward  the  office,  and 
Stuart,  as  if  divining  his  intention,  said  hur- 
riedly, and  in  a  low  tone  of  voice  : 

"  There's  no  one  in  there,  Sam.  Mr.  Ander- 
son has  gone  to  the  depot  to  see  about  some 
freight,  and  Mr.  Smith  has  just  stepped  out. 
In  fact,  he  has  gone  home,  and  won't  be  back 
to-night.  Any  word  to  leave  for  either  of 
them?" 

Sum  shook  his  head  and  walked  right  on. 

"That's  a  little  too  transparent,"  said  he 
to  Miles,  who  kept  close  at  his  side.  "What 
did  he  want  to  whisper  for?  and  why  did  he 
turn  so  red  in  the  face  ?  I'll  warrant  Mr.  An- 
derson isn't  near  the  depot,  and  that  \ve  shall 
find  Mr.  Smith  perched  on  his  high  stool.  He's 
always  there  since  Tom  went  away." 

At  that  moment,  as  if  to  confirm  his  words, 
the  back  door  opened  and  Mr.  Anderson  came 
in.  He  was  bareheaded,  and  had  no  overcoat 
on.  Moreover,  he  carried  a  number  of  packages 
in  his  arms,  and  that  was  all  the  proof  the 


THE   AMATEUR   DETECTIVE.  89 

boys  needed  to  convince  them  that  he  had 
been  busy  in  the  warehouse. 

When  they  entered  the  office,  they  found 
the  senior  partner  right  where  Sam  said  they 
would  lind  him — on  his  high  stool. 

He  laid  down  his  pen  and  looked  at  the  boys 
over  his  spectacles,  just  as  he  had  looked  at 
Oscar  on  the  day  he  discharged  him. 

"Mr.  Smith,"  said  Sam,  "may  we  have  a 
few  minutes'  private  conversation  with  you  ?  " 

"I  suppose  so,"  was  the  reply.  "Is  it  very 
private? " 

"  Well,  we  would  rather  you  alone  should 
hear  what  we  have  to  say.  If  you  choose  to 
repeat  it,  that  is  your  o\vu  affair." 

As  Sam  spoke,  he  closed  the  door  behind 
him,  and  turned  the  key  in  the  lock. 

"  Bless  my  soul  !  "  exclaimed  the  grocer  ; 
"what's  the  matter?" 

"Mr.  Smith,"  said  Sam,  without  replying 
to  the  question,  "have  you  lost  any  money 
lately  ?" 

"Not  a  cent  since  Oscar  went  away,"  was 
the  prompt  reply. 

"Xow,  let  me  tell  you  what's  a  fact!"  ex- 


90       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

claimed  Sam.  "  We  didn'  t  come  here  to  listen 
to  any  hard  words  against  Oscar  Preston,  and 
if  you  are  going  to  use  them  we'll  not  stay. 
We'll  tell  you  that  much  to  begin  with.  We 
will  tell  you,  further,  that  you  have  made  no 
friends  by  the  slanderous  reports  you  have 
circulated  regarding  that  boy." 

"  I  have  circulated  no  slanderous  reports 
about  him,"  replied  the  grocer,  who  could 
scarcely  believe  his  ears.  "I  said  that  I 
didn't  think  he  was  honest,  and  I  say  so 
yet." 

"Yes;  the  story  is  all  over  town  that  you 
discharged  Oscar  because  you  thought  he  had 
taken  money  out  of  your  drawer ;  but  all  the 
best  people  here  know  that  he  never  did  it. 
You  say  you  have  lost  nothing  lately.  Do 
you  happen  to  own  a  pocket-book  about  so 
long  and  so  wide?"  said  Sam,  placing  his 
hands  upon  the  desk,  and  indicating  by  them 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  article  he  was 
describing. 

Mr.  Smith  started  as  if  he  had  been  shot, 
and  got  off  his  high  stool  with  such  haste  that 
he  would  have  gone  headlong  to  the  floor  if 


THE    AMATEUR   DETECTIVE.  91 

Miles  had  not  caught  him  and  placed  him 
fairly  on  his  feet  again. 

He  opened  the  door  of  a  large  safe  that 
stood  in  one  corner  of  the  office,  and,  unlock- 
ing a  little  drawer  on  the  inside,  pulled  it  out 
and  looked  into  it. 

"Great  Moses!"  he  ejaculated;  "it  is 
gone  !  " 

"I  thought  so,"  said  Sam.  "Was  there 
anything  of  value  in  it  ?  " 

"Was  there?"  shouted  Mr.  Smith,  trem- 
bling all  over  with  excitement.  "  There  was  a 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  money  in  it,  and 
negotiable  paper  to  the  amount  of  eight  hun- 
dred dollars  more.  Have  you  seen  it,  Sam  ? 
Have  you  got  it  1  Hand  it  out  here  !  " 

"Now  don't  try  to  rush  matters,"  said 
Sam,  whose  cool,  deliberate  way  of  talking 
and  acting  so  exasperated  the  excited  grocer 
that  he  conld  hardly  refrain  from  laying  vio- 
lent hands  upon  him  and  searching  his  pockets. 
"This  thing  must  be  done  decently  and  in 
order,  or  it  can't  be  done  at  all.  I  certainly 
have  a  pocket-book  in  my  possession,  but  I 
want  to  be  sure  that  it  belongs  to  you  before 


92       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTER. 

I  hand  it  over  to  you.  Here,  Miles,  look  at  it 
while  Mr.  Smith  describes  it." 

"That's  it!  that's  it!"  cried  the  grocer, 
catching  a  momentary  glimpse  of  the  pocket- 
book  as  Sam  handed  it  to  his  companion.  "I 
would  know  it  among  a  thousand.  It's  mine  ! 
Give  it  to  me  !  " 

He  made  an  effort  to  snatch  it,  but  Sam  was 
too  quick  for  him.  He  succeeded  in  placing 
it  in  Miles' s  hands,  and  the  latter  held  fast 
to  it. 

"  Sam  !  "  cried  the  angry  and  astonished 
grocer,  picking  up  a  heavy  ruler  and  banging 
it  down  upon  his  desk,  "  do  you  think  I 
would  tell  you  a  falsehood  ?  Do  you  take  me 
for  a  thief  ? " 

"  All  I  have  to  say  about  that  is,  if  we  want 
people  to  put  implicit  faith  in  us,  we  must  be 
careful  how  we  accuse  others  of  wrong," 
answered  Sam  boldly.  "  Now,  what  sort  of  a 
pocket-book  is  it  ? " 

Miles  had  moved  up  close  to  the  window, 
and  stood  with  his  back  toward  the  grocer, 
holding  the  pocket-book  in  his  hand,  and 
waiting  for  him  to  describe  it.  He  thought 


THE   AMATEUR   DETECTIVE.  93 

he  was  well  acquainted  with  Sam  Hynes,  but 
he  told  himself  now  that  he  had  never  before 
known  what  sort  of  a  fellow  he  was.  He  was 
astonished  at  Sam's  impudence. 

Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the  oldest  business 
men  in  Eaton  ;  and  although  lie  was  so  close 
in  his  dealings,  and  thought  so  much  of  a 
dollar  that  he  had  never  gained  the  respect 
or  good-will  of  the  majority  of  the  people,  he 
had  never  been  suspected  of  dishonesty  or  un- 
truthfulness. 

And  Sam  did  not  by  any  means  suspect  him 
now.  He  simply  wished  to  show  Mr.  Smith 
that  he  had  been  handling  a  two-edged  sword 
that  was  liable  to  cut  both  ways. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OFF   FOB  THE   KIVER. 

"TTTHAT  sort  of  a  pocket-book  is  it?"    re- 

V  V     peated  Sam. 

"  Look  for  my  name  on  the  clasp,"  said  Mr. 
Smith,  who  was  so  nervous  and  impatient  that 
he  could  not  stand  still. 

"  I  see  it,"  said  Miles. 

"Then  it  is  my  property,  and  you  might  as 
well  hand  it  out  here  at  once,"  said  the  grocer. 
"  I  want  to  know  how  much  I  have  lost,  with- 
out any  more  trifling." 

"There's  no  trifling  about  this,"  replied 
Sam.  "There  is  more  than  one  Erastus 
Smith  in  the  world  who  is  able  to  own  a 
pocket-book  like  that.  Go  on." 

"Open  it,  and  look  for  a  hundred  dollars 
in  paper  money  and  fifty  dollars  in  gold," 
said  Mr.  Smith,  with  an  air  of  resignation. 

"I  find  no  such  sum  here,"  answered  Miles, 

94 


OFF   FOR  THE   RIVER.  95 

after  he  had  looked  through  the  pocket-book. 
"All  I  see  is  a  single  five-dollar  note." 

Mr.  Smith  groaned. 

"  Almost  thirty-two  hundred  dollars  in  clean 
cash  gone  out  of  the  firm  in  less  than  eight 
months,"  said  he,  with  a  long-drawn  sigh. 
"That  cuts  down  the  profits  fearfully — fear- 
fully!" 

"  I  find  here  some  bills  receivable." 

"Good!"  exclaimed  the  grocer.  "I  am 
glad  the  thief  left  them.  There  ought  to  be 
between  eight  and  nine  hundred  dollars'  worth 
of  them." 

Mr.  Smith  then  went  on  to  give  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  bills,  which  were  endorsed  and  filed 
in  nearly  the  same  order  in  which  he  referred 
to  them. 

So  retentive  was  his  memory  that  he  could 
recall  the  dates  of  a  good  many  of  them,  give 
their  exact  wording,  and  tell  the  color  of  the 
paper  and  ink  that  were  used  in  writing  them. 

After  he  had  gone  through  half  a  dozen  of 
the  bills  in  this  way,  Miles  turned  and  looked 
at  Sam. 

"  Are  you  satisfied  ? "  asked  the  latter. 


96       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"I  am,"  replied  Miles. 

"Then  hand  it  over." 

Mr.  Smith  snatched  the  pocket-book  as  it 
was  extended  toward  him,  and  climbed  to  his 
place  upon  the  high  stool. 

"Where  did  you  get  this  ?  "  said  he. 

"In  a  drawer  in  Oscar  Preston's  work- 
bench," replied  Sam. 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  grocer,  in  a  very  significant 
tone  of  voice.  "Now,  the  next  question  is: 
How  did  it  come  there  ?  " 

The  answer  almost  took  Mr.  Smith's  breath 
away. 

"Your  favorite  clerk,  Will  Stuart,  put  it 
there,  for  I  saw  him  do  it,"  said  Sam. 

And  then  he  went  on  to  describe,  in  as  few 
words  as  possible,  what  Stuart  had  done  while 
he  was  in  Oscar's  shop,  and  explained  the  ob- 
ject he  had  in  view  in  taking  the  pocket-book 
out  of  the  drawer  without  Oscar's  knowledge. 

Mr.  Smith  pushed  his  spectacles  over  his 
forehead  and  listened  intently  to  all  the  boy 
had  to  say,  and,  when  Sam  ceased  speaking, 
he  brought  his  hand  down  upon  his  desk  with 
a  ringing  slap. 


OFF    FOR   THE    KIVKII.  97 

"I  wondered  why  Stuart  was  so  eager  to 
drive  the  delivery-wagon  this  afternoon,  and 
this  explains  it,"  said  he.  "I  see  it  all  now. 
Stuart  knew  that  I  do  not  often  have  occasion 
to  open  that  little  drawer  in  the  safe,  and  he 
probably  took  the  book  a  day  or  two  ago— I 
know  it  was*  there  last  Saturday,  for  I  saw  it— 
thinking  that,  if  he  placed  it  in  Oscar's  bench, 
where  it  would  certainly  have  been  found  if  we 
had  taken  out  a  search-warrant,  we  would  be- 
lieve that  he  stole  it  before  he  was  discharged. 
You  have  no  objection  to  facing  Stuart,  I 
suppose?" 

"None  whatever,"  Sam  promptly  replied; 
"  that  is  just  what  we  came  here  for." 

Mr.  Smith  climbed  down  from  his  high  stool, 
unlocked  and  opened  the  door,  and  looked  out 
into  the  store.  The  only  person  he  saw  there 
was  the  junior  partner. 

"  Send  Stuart  here,  will  you  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Stuart  has  gone  home,"  was  the  reply. 
"He  had  a  sudden  attack  of  sick  headache." 

"  Oh,  he  did,  did  he  ? "  exclaimed  Sam.  "  It 
must  have  been  very  sudden,  for  he  was  well 
enough  ten  minutes  ago." 

7 


98       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUNTKH. 

Mr.  Anderson  came  into  the  office  in  obe- 
dience to  a  sign  from  his  partner,  and  was 
speedily  made  acquainted  with  the  object  of 
the  boys'  visit. 

He  was  almost  overwhelmed  with  astonish- 
ment, and  declared  that  he  never  would  have 
believed  it  of  Stuart. 

"Now,  Mr.  Smith,"  said  Sam,  when  there 
was  a  little  pause  in  the  conversation,  "we 
will  leave  this  matter  in  your  hands.  I  am 
ready  to  be  a  witness  at  any  time,  if  you  de- 
cide to  prosecute  ;  but  I  shall  not  spread  any 
damaging  reports  about  Stuart,  and  neither 
will  Miles.  We  don't  believe  in  hitting  a 
person  when  he's  down.  AVe  have  one  favor 
to  ask  of  you,  and  that  is  that  you  will  make 
Oscar  all  the  amends  in  your  power  for  the 
great  injustice  you  have  done  him." 

"  I  know  what  my  duty  is  under  the  circum- 
stances, young  gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Smith 
shortly. 

He  had  got  his  pocket-book  back,  and  eight 
hundred  dollars'  worth  of  bills,  and  he  felt  a 
little  more  independent. 

The  boys  picked  up  their  caps  and  left  the 


OFF   FOR   THE   RIVER.  99 

store,  while  Mr.  Smith  mounted  his  high  stool 
and  mopped  his  face  vigorously  with  his 
handkerchief.  The  exciting  scene  through 
which  he  had  just  passed  had  brought  the  per- 
spiration out  on  his  forehead  in  big  drops. 

"I  had  no- idea  that  Sam  Hynes  was  such 
a  bad  boy,"  said  he  to  his  partner.  "He 
wouldn't  give  up  that  pocket-book  until  I 
proved  its  contents  ;  and  I  have  done  business 
right  here  in  this  town  for  almost  half  a  cen- 
tury. He  had  the  impudence  to  tell  me,  in 
effect,  that  if  I  didn't  want  to  be  suspected  of 
dishonesty  myself  I  must  not  be  in  such  haste 
to  suspect  others.  I  declare,  he's  a  wonderful 
bad  boy — wonderful  !  " 

Meanwhile,  Sam  was  walking  down  the 
street,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  whist- 
ling merrily,  and  taking  such  strides  that 
Miles,  after  trying  in  vain  to  keep  up,  seized 
him  by  the  arm  and  held  him  back. 

"Sam,"  said  he,  "how  dare  you  talk  that 
way  to  a  grown  man  ?  If  I  had  been  Mr. 
Smith,  I  would  have  boxed  your  ears  for  you." 

Sam  looked  up  at  the  clouds  and  laughed 
heartily. 


100       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUXTER. 

"You  might  have  got  your  hands  full," 
said  he. 

"  What  will  your  father  say  when  he  hears 
of  it  ? "  continued  Miles. 

"  He'll  hear  of  it  as  soon  as  he  comes  home 
to-night,"  replied  Sam.  "I  make  it  a  point 
never  to  do  a  thing  that  I  am  afraid  or  ashamed 
to  have  him  know,  and  I  shall  tell  him  of  it 
myself.  He'll  give  me  a  good  going  over  for 
not  being  more  respectful  to  gray  hairs  ;  but  I 
deserve  it,  and  I'll  never  do  the  like  again 
— never"  added  Sam,  who  wished  now,  when 
it  was  too  late,  that  he  had  remembered  that 
Mr.  Smith  was  the  grandfather  of  two  of  the 
members  of  the  ball  club  to  which  he  belonged. 
"I  knew  well  enough  that  he  wouldn't  lay 
claim  to  any  but  his  own  property,  but  he 
thought  I  was  suspicious  of  him,  and  it  cut  him, 
didn't  it  ?  Perhaps  he'll  know  now  how  Oscar 
felt  to  be  unjustly  accused.  Going  to  turn  off. 
here  ?  Well,  good-by  !  I  promised  to  see 
Oscar  again,  you  know.  I'll  drop  around  to- 
morrow night  and  leave  a  brace  of  ducks  for 
your  Sunday  dinner.  Now,  Miles " 

Sam  finished  the  sentence  by  shaking  his 


OFF   FOR   THE   RIVER.  101 

finger  at  his  friend  and  then. placing  it  upon 
his  closed  lips. 

"I  understand,  and  I'll  bear  it  in  mind, 
too,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Good- by,  and  good  luck  to  you  !  " 

When  Sam  entered  the  shop  where  Oscar 
was  still  at  work,  the  latter  had  a  good  many 
questions  to  ask  regarding  his  abrupt  depart- 
ure a  few  minutes  before  ;  but  Sam,  being  all 
ready  for  him,  gave  his  inquiries  prompt  re- 
plies, which,  although  they  satisfied  Oscar's 
curiosity,  did  not  let  him  into  the  secret  of  the 
matter. 

The  young  taxidermist  thought  his  friend 
appeared  to.  be  very  jubilant,  and  well  he 
might,  for  he  had  done  something  to  be  proud 
of. 

Suppose  a  constable  had  come  up  there  with 
a  search-warrant  and  found  Air.  Smith's 
property  in  the  place  where  Stuart  had  left  it ! 
Oscar  would  have  been  in  trouble  indeed.  The 
latter  did  not  know  what  a  narrow  escape  he 
had  had  that  day,  and  it  was  no  part  of  his 
companion's  plan  to  enlighten  him. 

Sam  never  talked  about  his  exploits.     He 


102       T\VO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

sat  on  the  bench  with  his  hands  under  his 
legs,  school-boy  fashion,  pounded  with  the 
heels  of  his  boots  against  the  drawer  in  which 
the  pocket-book  had  been  concealed,  and 
talked  incessantly  about  the  duck-hunt  that 
was  to  come  off  the  next  day.  When  all  their 
plans  had  been  discussed,  Sam  said  good- 
night and  left  the  shop. 

As  soon  as  Oscar  had  eaten  his  supper  he 
went  up  to  his  room,  and  Avhen  he  came  down 
again  he  carried  a  game-bag,  powder-flask,  and 
shot-pouch  in  one  hand,  and  a  double-barrel 
gun  in  the  other. 

Oscar's  gun  was  not  just  the  weapon  that 
one  Avould  expect  to  see  after  listening  to  the 
description  of  it  which  Leon  Parker  had  given 
his  cousin.  It  was  a  good  deal  larger  and 
heavier  than  the  little  bird-gun  which  held  so 
prominent  a  place  in  Leon's  estimation,  but 
it  was  not  a  "blunderbuss,"  and  there  were 
several  boys,  and  men,  too,  in  the  village,  who 
would  have  been  glad  to  purchase  it  at  any 
figures  the  owner  might  have  put  upon  it. 

But  it  had  once  belonged  to  his  father,  and 
Oscar  would  not  have  parted  with  it  for  any 


OFF   FOU  THE    1UVER.  103 

consideration.  It  was  known  all  over  the 
country  as  a  "brag  shooting-gun,"  and 
among  all  the  young  hunters  in  the  neighbor- 
hood there  were  but  few  who  could  show  as 
many  birds  at  the  end  of  a  day's  hunt  as  Oscar 
could. 

Its  weight  was  no  detriment  to  him,  for 
his  strong  muscles  enabled  him  to  handle  it 
very  easily  and  quickly,  and  he  seldom  missed 
a  double  shot  when  the  opportunity  to  make 
it  was  presented  to  him. 

Having  received  a  thorough  rubbing,  inside 
and  out,  the  weapon  was  set  away  in  one 
corner  with  a  couple  of  corks  in  the  muzzles 
and  an  oiled  rag  over  the  tubes  to  keep  out 
the  dust ;  and  two  hours  later  Oscar  was  snug 
in  bed,  wrapped  in  a  dreamless  slumber. 

One  of  his  windows  was  raised  about  three 
inches,  and  through  this  opening  ran  a  stout 
cord,  one  end  of  which  was  tied  to  a  chair 
standing  at  the  head  of  Oscar's  bed  ;  the  other 
reached  down  to  the  ground  and  was  securely 
fastened  to  a  rose-bush. 

Shortly  after  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
Bugle,  who  always  slept  on  the  front  porch 


104       TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

when  the  weather  was  warm  enough  to  permit 
it,  challenged  someone  who  came  into  the 
yard,  and  soon  thereafter  the  cord  began  to 
saw  up  and  down  over  the  window-sill. 

The  chair  moved,  but  Oscar  slept  on  all 
unconscious  of  it.  The  person  below  waited 
and  listened  a  few  seconds  and  then  renewed 
his  pulls  at  the  string,  putting  considerably 
more  strength  and  energy  into  them. 

This  time  the  chair  was  upset  with  a  loud 
crash,  and  Oscar  jumped  up  and  hurried  to  the 
window.  It  was  too  dark  to  see  anybody,  but 
he  knew  who  was  there. 

"  We'll  have  to  make  haste,  for  I  overslept 
myself,"  said  Sam  Hynes's  well-known  voice. 
"Did  I  do  any  damage  up  there?  I  heard 
something  come  down  pretty  hard." 

"Oh,  no!"  was  the  reassuring  answer. 
"  Have  you  had  any  breakfast  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not.     I  intend  to  get  it  here." 

"All  right.     I'll  be  down  in  five  minutes." 

Oscar  dressed  himself  with  all  haste,  and 
when  he  went  downstairs  he  found  Sam  wait- 
ing for  him  at  the  back  door. 

Bugle   entered  when   Sam  did — he    always 


OFF   FOR  THE   RIVER.  105 

kept  as  close  to  a  gun  as  he  could — and  frisked 
about  in  high  glee,  thrashing  the  boys  with 
his  heavy  tail  and  continually  getting  in  their 
way. 

"  Splendid  morning,"  said  Sam,  as  he  leaned 
his  gun  up  in  one  corner.  "  Warm  and  foggy  ; 
more  like  spring  than  fall.  The  ducks  always 
fly  low  during  a  fog.  What  can  I  do  to  help 
you  ?" 

"  Nothing  at  all.  Just  sit  down  and  make 
yourself  comfortable.  The  fire  is  laid,  and  it 
will  take  but  a  few  minutes  to  make  a  cup  of 
coffee.  You  think  it  is  going  to  be  a  good 
day,  do  you  ?  Then  I  ought  to  make  some 
money  before  night.  Calkins  &  Son  of  Yar- 
mouth have  written  me  a  letter  offering  to 
take  all  the  game  I  can  send  them." 

"You  don't  say  so!"  exclaimed  Sam.  "I 
am  glad  to  hear  it." 

He  did  not  tell  Oscar  that  he  knew  all  about 
it,  but  such  was  the  fact.  He  knew  that  Mr. 
Parker  had  been  down  to  the  city  to  attend  to 
some  legal  business  for  that  very  firm  ;  and  it 
was  when  he  was  looking  about  their  store  and 
listening  while  Mr.  Calkins  expressed  his  re- 


106       T\VO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTK1I. 

grets  that  lie  could  not  secure  game  enough  to 
supply  the  demand,  which  was  unusually  great 
just  then,  that  the  lawyer  happened  to  think 
of  Oscar,  whom  he  recommended  as  the  best 
person  Mr.  Calkins  could  engage  to  shoot  fo' 
him. 

The  latter,  seeing  that  his  visitor  was  inter- 
ested in  the  boy,  said  he  would  try  to  secure 
his  services,  and  if  he  succeeded,  he  would  pay 
him  for  his  game  as  soon  as  it  was  received, 
and  not  wait  to  sell  it  on  commission. 

Mr.  Parker  gave  the  merchant  Oscar's  ad- 
dress, and  that  was  the  wray  our  hero  came  to 
be  a  market-shooter. 

Sam,  we  repeat,  knew  all  about  it ;  but  he 
listened  while  Oscar  talked  of  the  offer  he  had 
received,  and  acted  as  though  everything  he 
heard  was  news  to  him. 

The  fire  was  soon  cracking  away  merrily, 
and,  while  waiting  for  the  kettle  to  boil,  Oscar 
busied  himself  in  setting  the  table. 

Bugle,  finding  that  he  was  entirely  neg- 
lected, called  attention  to  himself  by  uttering 
a  deafening  bay. 

"Silence!"  exclaimed  Oscar.     "That  will 


OFF   FOR  THE    KIVKTI.  107 

never  do.  He  will  disturb  mother.  We  must 
shut  him  up.  Bugle  is  no  good  for  ducks." 

"I'll  fix  him,"  said  Sam. 

"  Take  your  gun  with  you,"  suggested 
Oscar,  as  Sam  took  the  key  of  the  shop  down 
from  its  nail.  "  You'll  never  get  him  in  there 
if  you  don't." 

Bugle  was  quite  ready  to  accompany  Sam 
when  he  saw  the  boy  pick  up  his  double-bar- 
rel ;  that  is,  he  was  ready  to  accompany  him 
to  the  woods,  but  he  would  not  follow  him  to 
the  shop. 

He  ran  out  of  the  wood-shed,  and,  thrusting 
his  head  in  at  the  door,  looked  at  Sam,  but  he 
could  not  be  induced  to  go  near  him. 

Oscar  could  hear  his  friend  coaxing  and 
scolding,  and  finally  a  suppressed  whine  from 
Bugle  told  him  that  Sam  had  been  obliged 
to  collar  the  animal  and  drag  him  into  his 
prison. 

A  hearty  breakfast  having  been  disposed  of, 
a  lunch  was  stowed  away  in  Oscar's  game-bag, 
and  the  boys  were  ready  for  the  start. 

In  the  wood-shed  they  found  a  light  wheel- 
barrow, which  contained  the  decoys  they  were 


108       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

to  rise  during  the  hunt  and  also  the  sail  and 
oars  belonging  to  Oscar's  boat. 

Sam  took  his  friend's  gnn  under  his  arm, 
Oscar  set  the  wheelbarrow  in  motion,  and,  with 
Bugle's  farewell  ringing  in  their  ears,  they  set 
out  for  the  river  at  a  rapid  walk. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A   FORTUNATE  DUCK-HUNT. 

ri  1HE  young  hunters  found  Oscar's  skiff 
-J-  where  the  owner  had  left  it,  drawn  high 
and  dry  upon  the  bank,  and  fastened  with  a 
lock  and  chain  to  a  tree  that  stood  a  short 
distance  below  Mr.  Peck's  boat-house. 

Mr.  Peck,  who  made  a  business  of  fishing 
and  renting  sail-  and  row-boats  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  village  pleasure-seekers,  was 
standing  on  his  wharf  when  the  boys  came 
up. 

"  Going  ducking  ?"  said  he.  "Well,  I'll 
tell  you  what  I  wish  you  would  do  for  me," 
he  added,  upon  receiving  an  affirmative  reply. 
"  I  let  one  of  my  boats  yesterday  afternoon  to 
a  stranger  to  go  down  to  Cottonwood.  He 
was  to  have  been  back  before  dark,  but  I  aint 
seen  no  signs  of  him  yet.  Didn't  look  to  me 
like  a  man  who  would  be  likely  to  run  off 

109 


110       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

with  a  boat,  because  lie  wore  a  gold  watch  and 
gold  spectacles  and  that  showed  that  lie  was 
able  to  buy  a  boat  if  he'd  wanted  one/' 

"How  long  has  this  fog  been  on?"  asked 
Oscar. 

"  Ever  since  midnight."  « 

"  Then  perhaps  he  became  bewildered  and 
tied  up  somewhere  to  wait  for  the  fog  to  lift," 
continued  Oscar.  "If  he  is  a  stranger,  of 
course  he  doesn't  know  the  river." 

"I  don't  see  how  in  the  world  he  could 
get  bewildered,"  observed  Sam.  "If  he  had 
rowed  over  to  this  bank,  and  come  straight  tip 
stream,  he  would  have  found  the  village  with- 
out any  trouble.  He  certainly  knew  euougli 
for  that." 

"Well,  I  aint  so  certain  of  it,  neither, 
Sam,"  said  Mr.  Peck.  "'Pears  to  me,  now 
that  I  think  of  it,  that  he  didn't  know  much 
of  anything.  I  give  him  my  best  boat,  too, 
for  he  looked  as  though  he  was  able  to  pay  for 
it.  I  wish  you'd  kinder  keep  an  eye  out  for 
him,  and  set  him  right  if  he  has  missed  his 
reckoning." 

"  We'll  do  it,  Mr.  Peck,"  said  Sam. 


A   FORTUXATE   DUCK-IIUXT.  Ill 

Oscar  unlocked  his  boat,  turned  it  right- 
side  up  with  his  companion's  assistance,  and 
pushed  it  into  the  water. 

Here  again  Leon's  description  was  at  fault. 
Oscar's  craft  was  not  a  "  leaky  old  scow  "  ;  it 
was  a  light,  easy-running  skiff.  As  he  had 
built  it  himself,  of  course  it  was  not  as  finely 
modell  -d  as  some  of  Mr.  Peck's  costly  boats, 
but  it  answered  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
intended. 

Leon  had  seen  it  come  up  to  Mr.  Peck's 
wharf  almost  filled  with  wild  ducks.  It  had 
more  than  once  beaten  his  nice  little  boat  in  a 
fair  race  up  the  river  from  Squaw  Island. 

It  was  named  after  Sam's  sister  Katie,  the 
prettiest  girl  in  the  village,  who  seemed  to  pre- 
fer Oscar's  company  to  Leon's;  and  perhaps 
these  were  the  reasons  why  the  latter  could 
not  speak  well  of  it. 

The  skiff  having  been  launched,  the  sail  was 
put  into  it. 

The  game-bags  were  stowed  away  in  a  little 
locker  in  the  bow,  the  guns  were  carefully 
loaded  and  put  in  their  proper  places — one  in 
the  stern  and  the  other  on  the  midship  thwart — 


112       TWO    WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A    IIL'XTER. 

and  then  Sam  shipped  the  rudder,  while  Oscar 
got  out  the  oars  and  rowed  away  into  the  fog. 

In  five  minutes  Mr.  Peck's  wharf  and  boat- 
house  were  out  of  sight,  and  the  boys  found 
themselves  enveloped  in  a  cloud  which  con- 
cealed everything  that  was  more  than  twenty 
yards  distant  from  their  boat. 

"How  will  this  do,  Sam?"  said  Oscar,  rest- 
ing on  his  oars. 

"  Do  you  hear  that  ? "  asked  his  companion, 
in  reply.  "  I  think  we  had  better  go  a  little 
further  out." 

Oscar  thought  so  too.  He  dipped  the  oars 
into  the  water  again,  and  the  boat  moved 
deeper  into  the  fog. 

The  sound  that  had  attracted  Sam's  atten. 
tion  was  made  by  a  solitary  whistle-wing  as 
he  pursued  his  way  down  the  river. 

Oscar  pulled  steadily  for  five  minutes  longer, 
and  then  the  oars  were  allowed  to  swing 
around  by  the  side  of  the  boat,  and  each  boy, 
picking  up  his  gun,  squared  about  on  his  seat 
and  waited — for  a  quarter  of  a  minute  only. 

They  had  scarcely  taken  their  positions 
before  a  flock  of  mallards  suddenly  emerged 


A   FORTUNATE  DUCK-JIUNT.  113 

from  the  fog,  flying  so  close  to  the  water 
that  the  young  hunters  could  have  knocked 
them  down  with  their  guns  if  they  had  con- 
tinued on  their  way  ;  but,  of  course,  they  did 
not. 

The  ducks  arose  in  the  air  and  sheered  off 
the  instant  they  discovered  the  boat,  and 
the  boys  sprang  to  their  feet  at  the  same 
time. 

As  the  flock  flew  over  their  heads,  they 
turned  away  from  each  other,  and,  when  the 
birds  had  passed  the  boat,  discharged  their 
double-barrels  in  quick  succession.  They 
pulled  the  triggers  so  nearly  at  the  same 
instant  that  the  four  reports  sounded  like 
two. 

Learn  two  things  here  in  regard  to  shooting 
on  the  wing,  if  you  do  not  know  them  already  : 
Never  fire  at  a  wild  fowl  as  he  is  coming  toward 
you.  The  thick  feathers  on  his  breast  will 
glance  the  shot,  and,  if  some  of  them  do  not 
chance  to  hit  him  in  the  head,  he  will  continue 
on  his  way  unharmed.  Wait  until  he  has 
passed  you,  then  aim  low  and  a  little  in  ad- 
vance of  him,  keeping  both  eyes  open,  and 


114       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

holding  so  that  you  can  see  daylight  between 
him  and  the  muzzle  of  your  gun  ;  then  the  shot 
will  pass  under  his  feathers,  and  in  a  few 
seconds  more  you  can  put  him  in  your  game- 
bag. 

If  you  are  hunting  with  a  companion,  don't 
turn  toward  him  when  you  are  getting  ready 
to  shoot,  but  turn  away  from  him.  Then,  if 
you  accidentally  discharge  your  gun  in  your 
excitement  (but  remember  that  you  must  not 
allow  yourself  to  become  excited),  the  shot 
will  go  up  into  the  empty  air  and  no  one  will 
be  injured. 

"That  will  do  for  a  beginning,"  said  Sam, 
when  the  smoke  had  cleared  away  so  that  the 
boys  could  see  the  effect  of  their  shot.  "  How 
many  ducks  were  there  in  that  Hock?  " 

"About  thirty,"  said  Oscar;  "and  they 
were  all  mallards,  too." 

"Well,  we've  got  two — four — hold  on, 
there!" 

Sam  fell  to  reloading  his  gun  with  all  possi- 
ble haste,  while  Oscar  quickly  resumed  his 
seat,  picked  up  the  oars,  and  turned  the  boat's 
head  down  the  stream.  Three  of  the  ducks 


A    FORTUNATE   DUCK-HUNT.  115 

had  come  down  with  broken  wings  and  were 
now  swimming  rapidly  away  into  the  fog. 

It  did  not  take  Sam  much  longer  to  charge 
his  old-fashioned  muzzle-loader  than  it  would 
take  you  to  charge  your  new-fashioned 
breech-loader.  He  never  used  loose  shot  dur- 
ing a  hunt.  On  rainy  days,  when  he  had 
nothing  else  to  do,  he  put  up  a  lot  of  car- 
tridges. 

He  first  made  a  number  of  paper  bags,  a, 
little  smaller  than  the  bore  of  his  gun,  and 
glued  a  wad  fast  to  one  end  of  them.  When 
they  became  dry,  he  filled  them  with  different 
kinds  of  shot,  putting  bird-shot  in  one  and 
duck-shot  in  another,  closed  the  bag  and 
fastened  another  wad  at  that  end.  Then  all 
he  had  to  do,  when  he  wanted  to  load  his  gun, 
was  to  pour  in  the  powder  from  his  flask, 
drive  home  a  couple  of  these  cartridges, 
which  he  carried  loose  in  his  coat-pocket,  put 
on  the  caps,  which  he  carried  loose  in  his  vest- 
Docket,  and  the  weapon  was  ready  to  be  dis- 
charged. 

All  this  he  did  in  the  same  space  of  time 
that  Oscar  occupied  in  turning  the  boat 


116      TWO    WAYS   OB^   BECOMING  A   HfSTKU. 

aronnd.  He  made  sure  work  of  two  of  the 
wounded  ducks,  and  the  other,  which  seemed 
too  badly  hurt  to  dive,  was  knocked  on  the 
head  with  an  oar. 

They  secured  seven  ducks  that  time,  and 
twelve  more  out  of  three  other  flocks  which 
passed  over  their  heads  within  the  next 
twenty  minutes. 

"Now,  let  me  row  awhile,"  said  Sam,  when 
the  last  bird  had  been  picked  up.  "  You  are 
doing  all  the  work,  and  I  am  having  all  the 
fun." 

"Yes,  you  have  had  all  the  best  of  it," 
answered  Oscar,  as  he  exchanged  places  with 
his  companion.  "It  is  going  to  blow  now, 
and  this  fog  will  all  be  gone  in  ten  minutes. 
I  think  we  had  better  go  down  to  the  head  of 
the  island  and  put  out  our  decoys." 

It  turned  out  just  as  Oscar  said  it  would. 
The  breeze,  which  had  sprung  up  since  they 
left  the  shore,  grew  stronger  every  minute, 
the  fog  rapidly  faded  away,  and  in  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  the  young  hunters  had  a  clear  river 
before  them. 

The  village    was  out    of  sight   behind  the 


A    FOIITI'XATE   DUCK-HUNT.  117 

point,  and  Squaw  Island — their  favorite  camp- 
ing and  shooting  ground — was  in  plain  view 
and  about  two  miles  away. 

Oscar  directed  the  boat  toward  it,  and  Sam, 
after  taking  off  his  coat,  laid  out  his  strength 
on  the  oars.  The  wind  came  up  the  river  in 
strong,  but  fitful  gusts,  and  finally  raised  a 
sea  that  made  the  little  boat  dance  about  right 
merrily. 

"I  don't  think  we  are  going  to  have  such  a 
splendid  day,  after  all,"  observed  Sam,  who 
had  grown  very  weatherwise  during  his 
numerous  excursions  down  the  river.  "I 
wisli  this  wind  would  hold  up  and  let  the  fog 
settle  down  again.  I  don't  like  it." 

"Neither  does  that  fellow,"  answered  Oscar, 
looking  over  his  companion's  shoulder  toward 
some  object  further  down  the  river.  "  The 
wind  must  be  cutting  up  some  strange  shines 
down  there,  or  else  he  doesn't  know  what  he  is 
about.  Just  look  at  him." 

Sam  released  his  hold  upon  the  oars,  allow- 
ing them  to  swing  back  alongside  the  skiff, 
and,  facing  about  on  his  seat,  directed  his 
gaze  down  the  river. 


118      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

Off  the  head  of  Squaw  Island,  he  discovered 
a  sail-boat,  which  was  acting  in  a  very  singular 
manner. 

The  wind  was  blowing  straight  up  the 
river,  and  it  would  have  been  no  trouble  at  all 
for  one  who  understood  his  business  to  make 
rapid  headway  against  the  current.  But  it 
soon  became  plain  to  Oscar  and  Sam,  both  of 
whom  were  as  good  sailors  as  boys  ever  get  to 
be  who  have  had  no  opportunity  to  try  their 
skill  on  deep  water,  that  the  man  who  was 
seated  at  the  helm  of  the  sail-boat  did  not 
understand  his  business. 

Instead  of  letting  out  the  sheet,  as  he  ought 
to  have  done,  he  had  drawn  it  taut,  at  the 
same  time  holding  the  bow  of  his  boat  up  the 
river.  The  consequence  was  that  the  sail  was 
shaking  violently,  and  he  was  making  no 
headway  at  all. 

"  That's  the  boat  Mr.  Peck  is  looking  for," 
said  Sam  ;  "and  if  that  is  the  way  she  has 
been  handled  ever  since  she  left  the  village,  I 
don't  wonder  that  she  didn't  get  back  last 
night." 

"Perhaps  we  had  better  go  down  there," 


A   FORTUNATE  DUCK-HUNT.  119 

replied  Oscar.  "  That  man  doesn't  seem  to  be 
quite  up  to — my  gracious  !  There  he  goes  ! 
Give  me  an  oar,  quick  !  " 

Before  the  words  had  fairly  left  Oscar's  lips, 
one  of  the  oars  was  unshipped  and  placed  in 
his  hands. 

The  sail-boat  had  been  upset  through  the 
ignorance  or  carelessness  of  her  skipper.  The 
latter,  becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  very 
slow  progress  he  was  making,  had  brought  his 
craft  around  upon  the  other  tack,  but  he  did 
not  change  his  own  position. 

He  pushed  the  boom  over  his  head  as  it 
swung  around,  and,  instead  of  moving  over  to 
the  windward  side,  he  kept  his  seat  on  the 
leeward  gunwale,  and  his  own  weight,  added 
to  the  weight  of  the  sail  and  the  pressure  of 
the  wind  against  the  canvas,  overturned  the 
boat  before  he  could  think  twice. 

"  If  you  ever  pulled  in  your  life,  pull  now ! " 
exclaimed  Oscar,  as  he  shipped  his  oar  and 
tugged  at  it  until  lie  fairly  made  things  snap. 

"You're  stroke;  do  your  level  best!" 
cried  Sam.  "You'll  not  drive  your  end  of 
the  boat  ahead  of  mine,  I'll  promise  you  that." 


120      TWO   WAYS   OF   BKCOMING   A    IK'NTER. 

Oscar's  skiff  had  never  travelled  so  raj)idly 
under  the  "white-ash  breeze"  before.  The 
boys  being  both  good  oarsmen,  knew  how  to 
make  every  stroke  tell,  and  they  brought  all 
their  strength  and  skill  into  requisition. 

Guided  by  Sam,  who  sat  in  the  bow,  and 
looked  over  his  shoulder  occasionally  to  make 
sure  of  her  course,  the  Katie  flew  over  the 
waters  like  a  wild-fowl,  on  the  wing,  and  in 
much  less  time  than  the  boys  had  expected, 
she  caine  up  with  and  passed  the  overturned 
boat,  which  was  floating,  bottom  up,  with  the 
current. 

The  young    hunters    ceased    rowing,   and, 

. 

springing  to  their  feet,  looked  in  every  direc- 
tion. They  could  see  nobody,  and  the  fear 
that,  after  all  their  efforts,  they  had  arrived 
too  late  to  save  the  luckless  skipper  of  the 
sail-boat  was  already  half  formed  in  their 
minds,  when  a  shrill,  piping  voice  called  to 
them  from  the  water  : 

"This  way,  if  you  please.  I  have  met  with 
a  most  untoward  accident,  and  I  believe  I  am 
in  need  of  a  little  assistance."' 

"  Well,  he  is  a  cool  one,  whoever  he  is,"  said 


A    FOIITl'XATE  DUCK-HUNT.  121 

Sam,  in  a  low  tone.  "  If  I  were  in  his  situation 
I  should  think  I  stood  in  need  of  a  good  deal 
of  assistance." 

Sam  quickly  shipped  the  oar,  which  his 
companion  handed  to  him,  and  pulled  toward 
the  disabled  boat,  while  Oscar  threw  off  his 
coat,  pushed  back  his  sleeves,  and,  jumping 
upon  the  stern-sheets,  showed  Sam,  by  signs, 
how  to  guide  the  skiff. 

* 

A  few  of  the  latter' s  long,  sweeping  strokes 
brought  them  around  the  stern  of  the  sail- 
boat, and  there,  clinging  to  the  swaying  rud- 
der with  both  hands,  and  apparently  so  nearly 
overcome  by  his  sudden  immersion  in  the  cold 
water  that  he  was  on  the  very  point  of  letting 
go  his  hold,  was  a  bald-headed  old  gentleman 
iu  spectacles. 

As  the  boys  came  up  he  extended  one  hand 
toward  them,  and  at  the  same  instant  the 
other  slipped  off  the  rudder.  He  went  down 
like  a  piece  of  lead,  and  in  a  second  more 
would  have  been  out  of  sight,  had  not  Oscar 
dashed  forward,  plunged  his  arms  into  the 
water  up  to  his  shoulders,  and  seized  him  by 
the  collar. 


122      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

This  action  on  his  part  would  have  over- 
turned the  skiff  in  an  instant,  or  else  Oscar 
would  have  gone  overboard,  had  it  not  been 
for  an  equally  prompt  action  on  the  part  of 
Sam  Hynes. 

The  latter,  who  never  lost  his  head  under 
any  circumstances,  threw  himself  as  far  as  he 
could  over  the  opposite  side  of  the  boat  to 
counterbalance  Oscar's  weight,  at  the  same 
time  bracing  his  feet  firmly  and  seizing  his 
friend  by  the  waistband  of  his  trousers. 

"Hang  on  to  him,"  he  shouted,  "and  I  can 
trim  the  boat  and  heave  you  both  in  ! " 

Sam  was  noted  among  his  fellows  for  his 
strength,  but  on  this  occasion  it  seemed  that 
he  had  undertaken  more  than  he  could  accom- 
plish. The  skipper  of  the  sail-boat  was  so 
completely  benumbed  with  the  cold,  and  so 
nearly  strangled,  that  he  could  not  help 
himself. 

Oscar  was  pretty  large  and  heavy  for  a  boy 
of  his  age,  and  Sam  found  that  it  was  not  so 
easy  to  haul  them  both  into  the  boat.  Bat, 
after  pulling  and  tugging  until  he  was  red  in 
the  face,  he  succeeded  in  bringing  Oscar  to  an 


A   FOUTUXATE   DUCK-IIl'XT.  123 

upright  position,  so  that  the  latter  could  use 
some  of  his  own  strength,  and  then  the  work 
was  quickly  done. 

The  old  gentleman  was  pulled  over  the  side 
and  placed  on  the  bottom  of  the  skiff,  where 
he  would  be  somewhat  protected  from  the 
wind. 

Sam's  hat  was  put  upon  his  head,  and 
Oscar's  coat  was  snugly  wrapped  about  his 
shoulders.  He  had  had  a  very  narrow  escape  ; 
but,  to  the  great  amazement  of  the  boys  who 
had  saved  him,  he  did  not  seem  to  be  at  all 
disconcerted. 

He  wiped  the  water  from  his  face,  coughed 
once  or  twice,  and  said  in  a  shrill  voice,  ad- 
dressing himself  to  Oscar : 

"This  is  neither  the  time  nor  the  place, 
young  gentleman,  to  thank  you  for  the  gal- 
lant service  you  have  rendered  me,  but  I 
assure  you  it  shall  not  be  forgotten.  I  have 
to-day  received  a  new  insight  into  meteoro- 
logical phenomena,  of  which  I  have  been  a 
close  student  for  a  life-time.  Winds,  as  I 
now  know,  are- 
How  long  the  rescued  man  would  have  con- 


T\VO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

tinned  to  talk  in  this  strain  it  is  hard  to  tell ; 
but  just  then  he  began  to  shiver  all  over,  and 
his  teeth  chattered  so  violently  that  he  could 
not  inter  a  word. 

The  boys,  who  had  listened  to  this  speech 
with  the  greatest  astonishment,  exchanging 
significant  glances  the  while,  were  recalled  to 
themselves  by  these  signs  of  suffering. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   CAMP   OX   THE   ISLAND. 

/"^  IVE  me  an  oar ! "  exclaimed  Oscar. 
V_U~  "  We  must  get  back  to  the  village  with- 
out the  loss  of  a  moment." 

"Then  hoist  the  sail,"  said  Sam,  "and 
we'll  go  up  flying." 

"  It  would  be  of  no  use.  The  wind  is  dying 
away,  and  that  fog  will  be  down  on  us  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  thicker  than  ever." 

Oscar,  who  pulled  the  stroke-oar,  kept  his 
friend  Sam  exceedingly  busy  during  the  next 
forty-five  minutes,  and  tested  that  young 
gentleman's  endurance  and  muscle  in  a  way 
they  had  never  been  tested  before. 

They  were  both  tired  and  quite  out  of 
breath  when  they  reached  the  wharf,  where 
they  found  Mr.  Peck  and  Mr.  Hall,  the 
miller,  waiting  for  them. 

The  boys  were  glad  to  see  Mr.  Hall  there. 

125 


126      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTEK. 

His  grist-mill  was  located  but  a  few  rods 
away,  anl  they  knew  that  there  was  a  good 
fire  in  the  office,  in  front  of  which  their  half- 
frozen  passenger  would  soon  be  thoroughly 
dried  and  thawed  out. 

The  two  men  had  seen  the  skiff  coming  up 
the  river,  and  knowing  by  the  way  the  oars 
were  handled  that  there  was  something  wrong, 
they  had  waited  to  see  what  it  was.  When 
they  discovered  the  rescued  man  sitting  on 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  they  knew  what 
had  happened,  and  there  was  no  need  of 
inquiries. 

"  Give  us  your  hand,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Hall,  as 
the  boys  lifted  the  old  gentleman  to  his  feet, 
"and  I'll  take  you  right  over  to  my  office. 
I've  got  a  red  hot  stove  there.  Just  catch 
hold  of  his  other  arm,  Sam,  and  help  him 
along." 

"Where  did  you  find  him?"  asked  Mr. 
Peck,  when  he  was  left  alone  with  Oscar. 
"  And  where's  my  boat  ? " 

"We  saw  him  capsize  off  the  head  of  the 
island,"  replied  the  boy. 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  that  he  didn't  seem  to 


THE   CAMP   OX   THE   ISLAND. 

know  much  of  anything?"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Peck,  in  disgust.  "There's  no  excuse  for 
upsetting  that  boat  in  this  wind." 

"None  whatever,"  was  Oscar's  answer. 
"  When  lie  jibed  the  sail  he  didn't  move  over 
to  windward,  and  it  was  his  weight  and  the 
sails  that  overturned  the  boat.  The  wind 
wasn't  to  blame  for  it  at  all.  We  left  the 
boat  as  we  found  it,  keel  up,  and  going 
down  the  river  as  fast  as  the  current  could 
take  it.  Our  passenger  was  so  nearly  ex- 
hausted that  we  couldn't  stop  to  pick  it  up." 

Mr.  Peck  remarked  that  he  would  go  down 
after  it  himself,  and  charge  the  bald-headed 
old  gentleman  a  good  round  sum,  too,  for  his 
carelessness  ;  and  just  then  Sam  came  back, 
wearing  one  of  Mr.  Hall's  old  caps  and  carry- 
ing Oscar's  coat  over  his  arm.  He  had  left 
his  own  cap,  he  said,  for  the  gentleman  to 
wear,  for,  of  course,  he  couldn't  let  him  walk 
to  his  hotel  bareheaded. 

While  Sam  was  speaking,  he  jumped  down 
into  the  boat,  which  was  at  once  pushed  out 
into  the  stream  and  headed  toward  Squaw 
Island. 


128      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

The  young  hunters  had  lost  more  than  an 
hour  and  a  half  of  the  best  part  of  the  dny, 
but  still  there  was  time  enough  for  them  to 
double  the- size  of  their  bag  if  the  ducks  would 
only  be  accommodating  enough  to  come  within 
range  of  their  double-barrels. 

Contrary  to  Oscar's  predictions,  the  breeze 
which  had  so  suddenly  sprung  up,  and  driven 
off  the  fog,  continued  to  blow  steadily  for 
three  hours. 

Within  twenty  minutes  after  leaving  Mr. 
Peck's  wharf  they  reached  the  island,  but  they 
did  not  add  a  single  duck  to  their  bag  on  the 
way.  They  saw  plenty  of  birds,  but  every 
flock  flew  wild. 

Oscar  at  once  put  Sam  and  his  double- 
barrel  on  shore,  and  then  pulled  back  into 
the  stream  a  short  distance,  to  set  out  his 
decoys. 

While  he  was  thus  employed,  Sam  was  en- 
gaged in  cutting  branches  from  the  willows 
that  grew  near  by,  and  filling  up  the  gaps  the 
winds  had  made  in  the  blind  they  had  put  up 
there  the  year  before. 

It  was  built  upon  the  top  of  a  little  knoll, 


THE   CAMP   OX   THE   ISLAND.  129 

about  thirty  yards  from  the  place  where  tlie 
decoys  were  anchored,  and  so  completely  was 
it  concealed  by  the  tall  weeds  and  grass  which 
grew  on  every  side  that  anyone  who  did  not 
know  just  where  to  look  for  it  would  have 
hard  work  to  find  it. 

When  their  preparations  wereall  completed, 
the  skiff  was  hidden  in  a  little  bay,  surrounded 
by  th'3  thicket  of  willows  before  spoken  of; 
and  the  boys,  with  their  guns  in  their  hands, 
sat  down  behind  their  blind,  opposite  two 
loopholes,  which  commanded  a  view  as  far  up 
as  the  point,  and  talked  over  the  incidents  of 
the  morning  while  waiting  for  the  first  flock  of 
ducks  to  swing  to  their  decoys. 

They  came  to  three  conclusions  concerning 
the  man  they  had  saved  from  going  to  the 
bottom  of  the  river.  He  was  well-to-do  in  the 
world,  judging  by  his  appearance  ;  he  knew 
something  about  physical  geography,  and  he 
was  not  a  proper  person  to  be  entrusted  with 
the  management  of  a  sail-boat. 

Thus  far  they  agreed,  and  then  they  began 
to  differ  in  their  opinions. 

Sam  declared  that  there  was  something  wrong 
9 


130      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

with  his  upper  story.  No  man,  with  a  level 
head  on  his  shoulders,  would  talk  as  he  did 
immediately  after  being  rescued  from  a 
watery  grave. 

Oscar,  however,  had  other  ideas,  and,  as  it 
happened,  they  were  correct. 

"He  is  completely  wrapped  up  in  his 
books,"  said  the  boy.  "  Perhaps  he  does  not 
know  much  outside  of  them,  but  you  take  him 
there,  and  he  is  perfectly  at  home.  There's 
more  knowledge  in  that  little  bald  head  of 
his  than  you  and  I  can  ever  hope  to  acquire." 

Sam  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  an  air 
which  said,  "  Perhaps  there  is,  and  perhaps 
there  isn't,"  and  just  then  the  discussion  was 
cut  short  by  the  appearance  of  a  flock  of  mal- 
lards, which  drew  to  their  decoys. 

They  circled  around  them  once  or  twice,  and 
were  on  the  point  of  alighting  among  them, 
when  one  wary  old  fellow  in  the  flock,  not 
liking  the  looks  of  the  wooden  deceptions, 
mounted  higher  into  the  air  with  a  warning 
quack.  Some  of  the  flock  followed  him,  and 
others  tried  to  do  so.  but  could  not. 

Even  the  wary  old  fellow  himself  did  not  go 


THE   CAMP   OX   THE   ISLAND.  131 

far,  for  Oscar  brought  him  down,  in  company 
with  two  others,  before  his  warning  note  was 
fairly  uttered. 

The  volley  was  not  as  effective  as  the  boys 
intended  it  should  be,  for  only  live  ducks  fell. 
The  current  carried  them  to  the  shore  in  a  few 
minutes,  and  Oscar  brought  them  in  and  placed 
them  behind  the  blind. 

The  sport  continued  for  two  hours  and  a 
half,  and  then,  the  breeze  having  died  away, 
the  fog  settled  down  again,  this  time  bringing 
rain  with  it. 

When  the  decoys  were  shut  out  from  view, 
the  boys  laid  aside  their  guns,  and  Oscar, 
after  placing  his  game-bag  within  easy  reach 
of  his  friend's  hand,  arose  to  his  feet  and 
walked  off  toward  the  willows,  while  Sam 
began  to  cut  up  some  dry  branches  with  his 
knife. 

By  the  time  Oscar  returned  with  an  armful 
of  wood  he  had  found  in  the  thicket,  Sam  had 
raised  a  good-sized  pile  of  shavings  and  kind- 
ling-wood, and  a  roaring  fire  was  under  way 
in  short  order. 

While  Oscar  continued    to    make  regular 


132      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

trips  between  the  thicket  and  the  fire,  bring- 
ing his  arms  full  of  wood  each  time,  Sam 
selected  a  duck  from  the  pile  behind  the  blind, 
plucked  and  cleaned  it  with  skill  that  would 
have  done  credit  to  any  professional  cook, 
and,  having  impaled  it  upon  a  forked  stick, 
thrust  the  stick  into  the  ground  beside  the  fire 
and  left  it  there,  while  he  proceeded  to  over- 
haul the  contents  of  his  game-bag  and  Oscar's. 

The  dinner  being  well  under  way,  and  all 
the  firewood  they  were  likely  to  need  having 
been  placed  close  at  hand,  the  young  hunters 
sat  down  to  take  a  rest ;  for  the  exertions 
they  had  made  to  rescue  the  skipper  of  the 
sail -boat  arid  carry  him  to  the  village  before  he 
froze  to  death  had  wearied  them  not  a  little. 

Xow  and  then  a  hoarse  "quack,  quack!" 
came  to  their  ears  through  the  thick  mist, 
followed  by  a  loud  splashing  in  the  water  as  a 
flock  of  ducks  settled  into  it.  and  occasionally 
they  heard  a  lonely  whistle-wing  flying  down 
the  river  ;  but  the  fog  concealed  everything 
from  their  view  outside  of  a  radius  of  twent\r 
yards,  and  they  were  reluctantly  compelled  to 
allow  the  birds  to  pass  unharmed. 


THE   CAMP   ON   THE  ISLAND.  133 

They  had  made  themselves  comfortable  in 
spite  of  the  moist  condition  of  things.  The 
branches  that  Oscar  had  spread  over  the 
ground  kept  their  feet  out  of  the  mud  ;  the 
high  blind,  behind  which  the  fire  was  built, 
served  to  protect  them  from  the  gusts  of  rain 
that  came  out  of  the  fog,  and  the  boys  were 
well  contented  and  were  prepared  to  enjoy 
their  dinner  as  heartily  as  though  they  had  a 
tight  roof  over  their  heads. 

The  dinner  was  well  worth  eating,  as  all 
Sam's  dinners  were  ;  and  when  ample  justice 
had  been  done  to  it,  Oscar  brought  up  the 
ducks  that  were  in  the  boat  and  placed  them 
with  those  that  were  piled  behind  the  blind. 

"  Sam,"  said  he,  when  he  had  counted  them, 
"we've  got  just  forty-two." 

"A  pretty  good  day's  work,"  replied  Sam. 
"I  want  six  of  them.  You  take  the  rest  and 
ship  them  to  Yarmouth." 

u  I  guess  not,"  answered  Oscar  promptly. 
"We'll  divide,  as  we  have  always  done, 
Twenty-one  of  these  ducks  belong  to  you,  and 
if  you  want  any  of  them  shipped  to  the  city, 
you  can  attend  to  the  matter  yourself." 


134      TWO    TV  AYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTEB 

"So  I  can.     I  didn't  think  of  that." 

Sam  spoke  as  though  he  did  not  care  what 
was  done  with,  the  ducks,  but  there  was  some- 
thing in  his  tone  that  caused  Oscar  to  sit  up 
on  his  knees  and  look  at  him  very  sharply. 

He  knew  well  enough  that  if  Sam  sent  any 
of  the  ducks  to  Yarmouth  they  would  be  sent  in 
his  (Oscar's)  name,  and  that  his  friend  would 
expect  him  to  receive  the  proceeds  and  apply 
them  to  his  own  use.  Sam  did  not  need  the 
money  himself,  for  he  had  a  rich  and  indul- 
gent father  ;  but  that  made  no  difference  to 
Oscar,  who  wanted  to  earn  every  cent  he  spent. 

"Sam,"  said  he  earnestly,  "if  you  do  that 
I  shall  be  very  angry  at  you." 

"If  I  do  what  ?"  returned  Sam  innocently. 

"Oh,  you  can't  fool  me!  If  you  do  it,  I'll 
never  go  hunting  with  you  again." 

"  Then  I'll  not  do  it,  of  course ;  but  I  don't 
know  what  you  mean  all  the  same.  Now,  as 
we  have  nothing  else  to  do,  let's  draw  these 
birds.  Our  shooting  is  over  for  the  day." 

And  so  it  proved.  The  boys  remained  be- 
hind their  blind  until  it  was  three  o'clock  by 
Sam's  watch,  but  not  another  duck  showed 


THE   CAMP    ON   THE   ISLAND.  13,5 

himself.  They  heard  them  splashing  in  the 
water  on  both  sides  of  the  island,  but  the  mist 
shut  them  out  from  view. 

The  rain  having  by  this  time  put  out  their 
fire,  and  the  birds  having  been  cleaned  and 
made  ready  for  the  market,  the  skiff  was 
launched,  the  ducks  were  packed  away  in  the 
bows,  the  guns  and  empty  game-bags  were 
stowed  in  the  stern,  and,  after  the  decoys  had 
been  picked  up,  the  boys  pulled  through  the 
fog  toward  the  village. 

"When  they  came  alongside  the  wharf,  they 
found  Mr.  Peck  and  Mr.  Hall  there,  as  before. 

The  former  was  hard  at  work  upon  the  wreck 
of  his  sail-boat,  which  he  had  found  near  the 
foot  of  the  island,  and  towed  home  after 
infinite  trouble,  and  Mr.  Hall  stood  by,  with 
his  hands  in  his  pockets,  looking  at  him. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  the  miller,  "  your  crazy 
m;m  is  all  right.  He  stayed  by  my  stove  until 
he  was  warmed  and  dried,  and  then  he  started 
for  his  hotel." 

"  There  !  "  exclaimed  Sam,  turning  to  Oscar 
with  a  triumphant  air.  "  What  did  I  tell 
you  \  Didn't  I  say  he  was  cracked  \  " 


136      TWO    WAYS    OF    BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

"  That  accounts  for  his  upsetting  the  boat/' 
remarked  Mr.  Peck.  "  I  knew  well  enough 
that  no  man,  who  had  any  sense  into  his  head, 
could  capsize  in  such  a  breeze  as  he  did." 

"  There  is  something  wrong  with  him,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Hall.  "While  he  was  standing 
there,  shivering  in  front  of  my  stove,  he  dis- 
covered my  pet  squirrels  and  canaries,  and  he 
walked  over  to  their  cages,  and  talked  to  them 
in  the  strangest  language  I  ever  heard.  I  took 
it  to  be  Greek  or  Latin.  He  said  he  had  been 
down  the  river  after — what  did  he  call  those 
things  he  was  looking  for,  Peck?  " 

"  Blessed  if  I  know,"  was  the  answer.  "  I 
never  heard  of  any  such  things  before." 

"  He's  got  an  idea  that  he  is  connected  with 
some  college,"  continued  Mr.  Hall,  "and  that 
somebody  has  given  him  a  lot  of  money  to 
spend  in  some  foolish  way.  He  didn't  think, 
until  he  got  ready  to  start  for  his  hotel,  that  he 
had  lost  his  gun  when  his  boat  upset.  The  only 
sensible  thing  he  did  while  he  was  in  my  office 
was  to  give  me  ten  dollars  to  pay  Mr.  Peck  for 
his  trouble,  and  take  down  Oscars  name  and 
street.  I  told  him  that  you  had  a  fancy  for 


THE   CAMP   OX   THE   ISLAND.  137 

shooting  birds  and  animals,  and  lie  said  he 
would  make  it  a  point  to  drop  around  and  see 
you." 

As  the  miller  ceased  speaking,  he  walked 
off  toward  his  office;  Mr.  Peck  resumed  his 
work  upon  the  wreck ;  Oscar  went  into  the 
boat-house  after  his  wheelbarrow,  and  Sam 
began  unloading  the  skiff. 

When  everything  had  been  taken  out  of  it, 
the  boat  was  drawn  up  on  the  bank,  turned 
bottom  upward,  and  made  fast  to  a  tree  with 
a  chain  and  padlock.  The  sail  and  the  oars 
belonging  to  it,  as  well  as  the  decoys,  were 
stowed  away  in  one  corner  of  Mr.  Peck's  boat- 
house,  where  they  were  to  remain  until  Oscar 
could  find  time  to  come  after  them.  The 
ducks  made  as  large  a  load  as  he  could  take 
to  the  village  in  his  wheelbarrow. 

When  all  this  work  had  been  done,  Sam 
selected  six  of  the  finest  ducks  from  the  pile, 
and,  after  tying  their  feet  together  with  a 
piece  of  stout  twine,  placed  them  by  the  side 
of  the  boat-house,  out  of  the  way,  and  began 
to  assist  Oscar  in  packing  the  others  away  in 
the  wheelbarrow. 


138      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"Hold  on  there!"  exclaimed  the  latter. 
"  How  many  did  you  put  in  then  ?  " 

"Don't  know,"  answered  Sam,  depositing 
another  armful  on  top  of  the  first.  "Didn't 
count  'em." 

"But  I  want  you  to  count  them.  I  own 
just  twenty-one  of  these  ducks." 

"  Don't  you  want  the  others  ? " 

"  Of  course  not.  We're  going  to  divide. 
Those  ducks  will  all  have  to  come  out  of  that 
wheelbarrow  again,  so  that  I  can  count  them." 

"All  right,"  exclaimed  Sam,  "out  they 
come!"  And  suiting  the  action  to  the  word, 
he  overturned  the  wheelbarrow,  spilling  the 
ducks  upon  the  wharf.  "Now,  count  them 
yourself,"  said  he,  "and  then  you'll  know 
that  you  have  got  what  you  want." 

Oscar  proceeded  to  count  out  his  share  of 
the  birds,  which  he  packed  away  in  the  wheel- 
barrow, and,  having  placed  his  gun,  game  bag, 
and  powder-  and  shot-flasks  on  top  of  them, 
he  stopped  and  looked  around  for  Sam. 

He  was  standing  near  the  shore-end  of  the 
wharf,  with  his  double-barrel  on  one  shoulder 
and  his  bunch  of  game  slung  over  the  other. 


THE   CAMP   OX   THE   ISLAND.  139 

"If  you  are  all  ready,  come  on,"  said  he. 

"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  rest 
of  those  ducks?" 

"  I  am  not  going  to  do  anything  with  them. 
If  it  is  too  much  trouble  for  you  to  ship  them 
to  the  city,  and  make  forty  cents  a  pair  out  of 
them,  you  had  better  leave  them  where  they 
are.  I've  got  all  I  want." 

Oscar  looked  first  at  his  friend,  then  at  the 
ducks,  and  finally  began  packing  them  away 
in  the  wheelbarrow  with  the  others,  while 
Sam  struck  up  a  lively  whistle  to  keep  from 
laughing  outright. 

He  had  done  his  best  shooting  that  day  on 
purpose  to  make  a  large  bag,  fully  intending 
that  Oscar  should  ship  the  surplus  birds  and 
receive  pay  for  them  ;  and  this  was  the  way  he 
took  to  accomplish  his  object.  Indeed,  he  al- 
most always  found  a  way  to  make  Oscar  do 
just  as  he  wanted  him  to  do. 

Having  placed  the  game  in  the  hands  of  the 
express  agent  at  the  depot,  and  sent  a  notice 
of  shipment  to  Calkins  &  Son,  the  two  boys 
started  for  home,  well  satisfied  with  their  day's 
sport. 


CHAPTER  X. 

AX  ASTOUNDING  OFFER. 

OSCAR  was  very  tired  when  lie  reached 
home  that  night,  but  he  spent  some  hours 
at  his  bench  before  he  went  to  bed.  He  was 
anxious  to  have  his  case  of  birds  ready  for  de- 
livery by  the  time  it  had  been  promised.  So  as 
soon  as  he  had  eaten  his  supper,  and  answered 
all  the  questions  his  mother  had  to  ask  regard- 
ing the  man  he  and  Sam  had  saved  from  drown- 
ing, he  lighted  the  lamp  in  his  shop  and  went 
to  work. 

Everything  being  ready  to  his  hand,  he 
made  rapid  progress,  and  when  he  locked  his 
shop,  at  ten  o'clock,  he  told  himself  that  by 
Monday,  at  noon,  if  nothing  unforeseen  hap- 
pened, the  case  would  be  safely  mounted  in 
Mr.  Jackson's  dining-room. 

And  so  it  was.  It  was  finished  at  eight 
o'clock,  and  Oscar,  who  was  a  good  judge  of 
such  matters,  declared,  with  no  little  satisfac- 

140 


AX   ASTOUNDING   OFFER.  141 

tion,  that  he  had  never  seen  a  finer  piece  of 
work. 

There  was  one  thing  about  it  that  did  not 
look  just  right,  and  the  boy  wondered  what 
Mr.  Jackson  would  say  when  he  saw  it. 

The  wheelbarrow  was  again  brought  into 
requisition,  and  the  case  having  been  placed 
upon  it,  and  covered  with  a  sheet  to  protect  it 
from  the  dust,  Oscar  trundled  it  off  toward 
Mr.  Jackson's  house. 

His  pull  at  the  bell  was  answered  by  that 
gentleman  himself,  who,  not  being  an  early 
riser,  had  not  yet  eaten  his  breakfast. 

He  assisted  Oscar  to  carry  the  case  through 
the  hall  and  place  it  upon  the  little  side-table 
on  which  it  was  to  stand,  and,  when  the  sheet 
had  been  removed,  he  stood  off  and  looked  at  it 
critically.  Then  he  called  Miles  and  all  the 
rest  of  his  family  in,  to  pass  judgment  upon  it. 

"It  is  just  what  I  wanted,  Oscar,"  said  Mr. 
Jackson,  at  length,  "and  you  could  not  im- 
prove it  in  any  way.  It  is  splendid,  and  I 
am  entirely  satisfied.  Hold  on,  here  ;  what's 
this?" 

He  walked  close  up  to  the  case,  and  placed 


142      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

his  finger  on  one  of  the  panes  of  glass  opposite 
a  bird  in  resplendent  plumage,  with  a  green 
and  purple  crest,  marked  with  two  narrow  lines 
of  white. 

"  That's  a  very  pretty  bird  !  "  continued  Mr. 
Jackson;  "but  what  is  he  doing  up  there? 
You  wouldn'  t  put  any  woodcock  or  snipe  in  the 
tree,  because  you  said  they  didn't  belong  there ; 
and  now  you've  gone  and  put  a  duck  in  it  ! 
What  sort  of  work  is  that  ?  " 

"That  bird  does  belong  there,"  said  Oscar. 
"  I  shot  him  out  of  a  tree." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  well  posted  in  drugs,  but 
he  knew  nothing  of  natural  history. 

He  looked  toward  Miles  for  an  explanation, 
but  as  the  latter  was  no  better  acquainted  with 
birds  and  their  habits  than  his  uncle  was,  he 
could  give  him  no  information. 

"  I'll  take  him  out  of  there,  if  yon  wish  me 
to  do  so,  and  put  a  grouse  in  his  place,"  said 
Oscar. 

"Oh,  no!"  replied  Mr.  Jackson  quickly. 
"  II  he  belongs  there,  let  him  stay  ;  but  /never 
saw  a  duck  in  a  tree.  Sit  down,  and  have 
some  coffee  with  us." 


AN   ASTOUNDING   OFFER.  143 

"  Thank  you,  sir  !  I  had  my  breakfast  three 
hours  ago." 

"You  did  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Jackson,  as  he 
followed  Oscar  through  the  hall  toward  the 
front  door.  "  Well,  I  never  could  see  any 
sense  in  eating  during  the  night.  You  will 
have  the  dyspepsia  some  day  if  you  don't  stop 
it.  There's  your  money,  and  good-by,  if  you 
must  go. 

"Miles,"  he  continued,  as  he  came  back  into 
the  dining-room,  where  the  rest  of  the  family 
were  seated  at  the  table,  "what  sort  of  work 
would  you  make  of  it  if  you  were  turned  loose 
in  the  world,  as  that  boy  is,  and  had  no  one  to 
depend  on  but  yourself  ?  " 

"I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  replied  Miles. 
"I  hope  I  shall  never  be  in  that  situa- 
tion." 

"So  do  I,"  said  his  uncle.  "I  hope  you 
will  associate  with  Oscar  all  you  can,  for  his 
influence  and  example  will  help  any  boy.  If 
you  hear  anything  said  against  his  honesty,  I 
hope  you  will  have  pluck  enough  to  resent  it 
on  the  spot." 

"Oh,   I  don't  think  that  anyone  will  ever 


144      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUXTEIl. 

hear  another  word  said  about  his  stealing 
money!"  exclaimed  Miles,  recalling  the  excit- 
ing interview  which  he  and  his  friend  Sam 
had  had  with  Mr.  Smith  on  the  previous 
Friday. 

Then,  believing  that  he  ought  to  give  some 
reason  for  thinking  so,  he  added  : 

"It  wouldn't  be  safe  to  slander  Oscar,  for 
Sam  Hynes  says  he  will  thrash  anjr  fellow  who 
does  it." 

"He's  another  good  one  ;  a  little  too  blunt 
sometimes,  but  as  true  as  steel,"  observed  Mr. 
Jackson.  "I  can't  quite  understand  why 
Oscar  put  a  duck  in  that  tree.  I  believe  he 
has  made  a  mistake,  and  I  am  going  to  iind 
out  about  it." 

And  he  did. 

"While  he  was  on  the  way  to  his  store,  he 
met  a  tall,  dignified  gentleman,  who  stopped 
to  exchange  a  few  words  with  him. 

It  was  Mr.  Chamberlain,  the  principal  of 
the  High  School.  The  two  men  had  met  on 
that  very  street,  at  that  very  hour  and  near 
that  same  spot,  every  day  except  Saturdays 
and  Sundays,  for  more  than  a  year.  The 


AN   ASTOUNDING   OFFER.  145 

principal  \vas  the  best  educated  man  in  town, 
and  a  good  many  hard  nuts  were  brought  to 
him  to  crack. 

';  You  know  everything,  professor,"  said 
Mr.  Jackson,  after  the  usual  greetings  had 
been  exchanged  ;  "but  you  never  knew  of  a 
duck  being  shot  out  of  a  tree,  did  you  ? " 

"Certainly,"  was  the  unexpected  answer. 
"The  wood-duck  of  Audubon,  commonly 
called  summer  duck.  It  is  the  most  beautiful 
species  of  the  duck  family,  and  reflects  all  the 
colors  of  the  rainbow.  It  never  makes  its 
nest  upon  the  ground,  but  always  in  some 
hollow  tree  that  hangs  over  the  water.  As 
soon  as  the  young  are  hatched,  they  throw 
themselves  down  into  the  stream  belo\v  with- 
out the  least  injury.  There  goes  the  iirst 
bell !  Good-morning,  Mr.  Jackson  !  " 

"I've  learned  something,"  thought  the 
druggist,  as  he  continued  his  walk  toward  the 
store.  "  Oscar  was  right  when  he  put  that 
duck  in  the  tree.  It  beats  me  where  that  boy 
found  time  to  pick  up  so  much  information 
about  birds  and  things." 

Meanwhile  Oscar,  with  his  forty  dollars  in 
10 


146      T\VO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

his  pocket,  was  trundling  his  wheelbarrow 
merrily  over  the  sidewalk  toward  home. 

He  wanted  first  to  place  his  money  in  his 
mother's  hands — he  thought  it  would  be  safer 
there  than  in  his  pocket — and  then  he  intended 
to  go  down  to  Mr.  Peck's  boat-house  after  the 
decoys,  sail,  and  oars  he  had  left  there  on 
Saturday. 

He  placed  his  wheelbarrow  in  the  front 
yard,  but  when  he  tried  to  open  the  door  he 
found  it  was  locked. 

''Mother  has  gone  over  to  visit  some  of  the 
neighbors,"  thought  he.  "I'll  stay  here  until 
she  conies  back.  I've  got  the  key  of  the  shop 
in  my  pocket,  and  I  can  find  plenty  to  do 
there." 

During  the  time  Oscar  had  worked  in  the 
store,  the  shop  had  not  been  kept  as  neat  and 
tidy  as  it  usually  was.  The  tools  he  had 
found  time  to  use  now  and  then  were  scattered 
about  over  the  bench  ;  the  shavings  and  dust 
had  accumulated  everywhere,  and  it  was  a 
good  hour's  work  to  straighten  up  things. 
But  it  was  work  that  Oscar  liked  to  do,  and  he 
whistled  merrily  as  he  set  about  it,  Bugle 


AX    ASTOUNDING   OFFER.  147 

meanwhile  stationing  himself  in  the  open  door 
and  keeping  a  close  watch  over  everybody  that 
passed  along  the  street.  Presently  he  uttered 
aloud  bay  and  sprang  out  into  the  yard. 

Oscar,  knowing  that  somebody  was  coming, 
hurried  to  the  door  to  see  who  it  was,  and  dis- 
covered the  hound  following  at  the  heels  of  a 
little  dried-np  man,  who  was  coming  around 
the  house  toward  the  shop.  It  was  the  same 
man  he  and  Sam  Hynes  had  found  clinging  to 
the  rudder  of  the  wrecked  sail-boat. 

Oscar  knew  him  at  once,  for  he  still  wore 
Sam's  cap  on  his  head. 

"Come  here,  Bugle!"  shouted  Oscar. 
"  Don't  be  afraid  of  him,  sir.  He  is  friendly, 
even  to  strangers." 

"  Good-morning,"  exclaimed  the  visitor. 
*'  I  knocked  at  the  front  door,  but  no  one 
answered  my  summons.  I  heard  someone 
whistling,  however ;  so  I  made  bold  to  come 
around  here." 

"Mother  went  out  while  I  was  absent," 
replied  Oscar.  "I  am  glad  to  see  you  again, 
sir,  and  hope  you  did  §not  suffer  any  incon- 
venience from  your  cold  bath  on  Saturday. 


148      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUNTKK. 

Will  you  walk  in  ?  I  have  a  fire  in  here.  I 
am  sorry  I  can't  take  you  into  the  house." 

The  visitor  made  no  reply  whatever.  He 
came  into  the  wood-shed,  stopped  in  front  of  the 
door  that  gave  entrance  into  the  shop,  and  said: 

"  I  believe  your  name  is — ah — is — ah — 

He  thrust  his  hand  into  the  inside  pocket  of 
his  coat  and  pulled  out  a  small  notebook, 
Opening  it,  he  began  turning  over  the  leaves 
to  find  Oscar's  name,  which  the  miller  had 
given  him  on  Saturday. 

The  book  was  filled  with  writing,  and  on 
every  page  the  visitor  seemed  to  find  some- 
thing that  he  wanted  to  remember,  for  he 
stopped  to  read  it  over,  in  a  half  audible  tone, 
before  turning  to  the  next  one. 

Oscar  stood  there  in  the  door  of  the  shop, 
with  the  broom  in  his  hand,  for  fully  five 
minutes,  waiting  for  him  to  say  something. 

"  Your  name  is  Oscar  Preston,"  said  the 
visitor,  at  length,  "and  you  are  the  boy  who 
rendered  me  a  very  important  service  two 
days  ago." 

"  I  am  the  one  who  .caught  you  as  you  were 
sinking,  but  I  never  could  have  brought  you 


AN   ASTOUNDING   OFFER.  149 

into  the  boat  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Sam  Hynes," 
replied  Oscar. 

He  did  not  want  all  the  honor  himself,  for 
the  absent  Sam,  who  was  at  that  moment 
puzzling  his  brains  over  his  Vergil,  was  en- 
titled to  a  good  share  of  it,  and  Oscar  in- 
tended that  he  should  have  it. 

The  visitor,  however,  seemed  to  think  that 
the  boy  who  had  kept  him  from  sinking  was 
the  one  who  deserved  all  the  credit,  and  he 
did  not  act  as  though  he  heard  Sam's  name 
mentioned. 

"lam  greatly  indebted  to  you,  my  3Toung 
friend,"  he  continued,  "and  I  regret  that  I 
cannot  reward  you  as  you  deserve.  My  name 
is  Potter,  and  I  am  president  of  the  Yarmouth 
University.  I  was  down  the  river  in  search  of 
some  specimens  of  the  Fuligula  Valisneria, 
which  I  am  told  are  now  and  then  to  be  found 
here." 

"Oh,  that's  what  he  went  after,  is  it?" 
thought  Oscar.  "  Well,  I  am  no  wiser  than  I 
was  before.  I  don't  know  what  those  things 
are,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  Mr.  Hall  and 
Mr.  Peck  didn't  understand  him." 


150      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"  I  became  bewildered,  and  was  obliged  to 
pass  the  night  alone  upon  an  island,  without 
food  or  fire,"  continued  the  visitor.  "  In  the 
morning  I  attempted  to  reach  the  village,  but 
the  wind  overturned  the  boat,  and  I  lost  a 
valuable  gun  and  all  the  equipments  belong- 
ing to  one  of  the  faculty,  who  had  kindly 
loaned  it  to  me.  Perhaps  it  was  just  as  well, 
after  all,  for  I  was  afraid  to  use  it,  having 
never  fired  a  gun  in  my  life,  although  I  hoped 
to  gain  courage  enough  to  discharge  ir,  if  I 
saw  an  opportunity  to  secure  a  specimen  or 
two.  Your  name  is"  (here  he  consulted  his 
notebook  again)  "Oscar  Preston,  and  I  am 
informed  that  you  are  an  expert  taxidermist." 

"I  am  an  amateur  taxidermist,  sir,"  an- 
swered Oscar.  "I  do  not  claim  to  be  an  ex- 
pert. I  have  a  few  specimens,  which  I  shall 
be  glad  to  show  you,  if  you  are  interested  in 
such  things.  Will  you  walk  in  ?" 

Oscar  deposited  his  broom  in  one  corner, 
and  drew  aside  the  curtain  concealing  the 
recess  in  which  his  birds  and  animals  were 
placed. 

The  professor  entered,  and  instantly  seemed 


AX   ASTOUNDING   OFFER.  151 

to  become  entirely  unconscious  of  Oscar's 
presence,  so  engrossed  was  he  with  what  he 
saw  before  him.  He  stopped  in  front  of  each 
bird,  and  talked  to  it  in  an  undertone,  and 
finally  he  began  to  speak  his  words  aloud,  so 
that  Oscar  could  understand  them. 

"Ah,"  said  he,  "a  very  fine  specimen  of 
the  order  Rasores,  family  Tetraonidce,  vulgo 
partridge  ;  the  Tetrao  Umbellus  of  Linnreus, 
and  the  Bonasia  Umbellus  of  Bonaparte, 
which  is  incorrect.  This  is  a  specimen  of  the 
order  Insessores,  family  Ampelidcr,  genus 
Bombycilla  Carolinensis,  Very  finely 
mounted,  I  should  say  ;  much  better  than  some 
of  the  specimens  we  have  at  the  university." 

All  these  hard  words  were  rolled  off  without 
the  least  hesitation,  and  it  was  evident  that 
the  professor  had  them  at  his  tongue's  end. 
Oscar  listened  in  genuine  amazement,  and 
then  seizing  a  piece  of  pine  board,  that  hap- 
pened to  be  lying  near  him  on  the  bench, 
hastily  wrote  something  upon  it  with  a  pencil 
he  drew  from  his  pocket,  and  moved  up  a 
little  closer  to  his  visitor,  so  that  he  could 
catch  everv  word  he  said. 


152      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTER. 

"Young  man,''  said  the  latter,  "do  you 
know  anything  about  comparative  anato- 
my?" 

"No,  sir,"  replied  Oscar,  who  had  never 
heard  this  expression  before. 

"You  ought  to  study  it,"  continued  the  pro- 
fessor, "for  it  belongs  to  your  business.  If 
you  will  give  a  scientist  a  single  bone,  he  can 
build  the  skeleton  of  the  beast  or  bird  to 
which  that  bone  belongs,  although  he  may 
never  have  seen  it.  The  species  may  even  be 
extinct.  Some  of  my  students  once  brought 
me  a  bone  they  had  found  in  the  woods,  and 
which  they  thought  was  the  bone  of  a  mas- 
todon of  the  order  PacJiydermata ;  but  it 
proved  to  belong  to  one  of  the  order  Jtumi- 
nantia,  being  the  bone  of  an  ox."  * 

Oscar  wrote  two  words  more  on  his  board, 
and  .waited  for  the  professor  to  go  on  ;  and 
when  he  did  go  on,  Oscar  heard  something  for 
which  he  was  not  at  all  prepared,  and  which 
astonished  him  beyond  measure. 

"  I  think  you  are  the  person  we  want,"  con- 
tinued the  visitor. 

He  stood  with  his  hands  behind  his  back, 


AN   ASTOUNDING   OFFER.  153 

and  liis  spectacles  on  the  end  of  his  nose, 
looking  up  at  the  specimens  on  the  shelves  ; 
and  he  seemed  to  be  talking  more  to  himself 
than  to  Oscar. 

"A  generous  and  public-spirited  citizen  of 
Yarmouth  has  given  to  our  university  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  which  is  to  be  ex- 
pended iu  founding  as  fine  a  museum  as  that 
amount  of  money  will  pay  for.  The  birds  and 
animals  of  our  country  are  to  be  represented 
first,  mounted  in  a  life-like  manner,  and  look- 
ing, if  possible,  as  natural  as  they  do  in  their 
wild  haunts.  Those  of  other  countries  are  to 
be  taken  in  hand  afterward. 

"We  have  already  gathered  a  few  speci- 
mens, though  in  a  desultory  way,  and  some 
of  them  are  declared  by  experts  to  be  very 
imperfect.  Of  the  order  Ruminantia,  family 
Cervidce,  we  have  obtained  but  one  species — 
the  Cervus  Virginianus"  (Oscar  wrote  these 
words  on  his  board.  lie  could  easily  do  it, 
for  his  visitor  did  not  seem  to  be  paying  the 
least  attention  to  him.)  "  We  have  the  Alces 
Americanus  and  the  Cerxus  Tarandus,  as 
well  as  the  hollow-horned  ruminants,  of  which 


154      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

there  is  but  one  species  in  this  country,  as  you 
are  no  doubt  aware,  yet  to  procure.  Of  the 
Digit? grades,  family  Ganidce,  we  have  but 
one — the  red  fox. 

"We  should  be  willing  to  give  something 
handsome  for  a  gray-cross,  or  black  fox.  Of 
the  Plantigrades,  we  have  two —  Ursus  Ameri- 
canus  and  Procyon  lotor.  We  should  like  a 
specimen  of  the  Ursus  Jiorribilis  and  the 
Ursus  maritimus,  and  also  of  the  cinnamon 
bear,  which  seems  to  be  gaining  some  noto- 
riety for  voracity  and  fierceness;  but  I  don't 
suppose  that  a  boy  of  your  years  would  care 
to  face  animals  of  that  description. 

"We  have  been  trying  to  engnge  an  ac- 
complished taxidermist,  who  is  at  the  same 
time  a  successful  hunter,  to  work  for  us  for 
a  term  of  years  at  a  stated  salary  ;  but  thus 
far  we  have  not  succeeded  in  our  object,  for 
the  reason  that  those  to  whom  we  have  ap- 
plied demand  more  money  than  the  com- 
mittee, in  whose  hands  the  matter  is  placed, 
think  they  can  afford  to  pay.  We  are  quite 
willing  to  give  a  hundred  dollars  a  month 
and  expenses,  provided  the  collector  is  will- 


AX   ASTOUNDING   OFFER. 

ing  to  go  where  we  want  to  send  him  ;  but 
more  than  that  we  could  not  promise,  under 
the  terms  on  which  the  money  was  given  to 
us.  Ah,  here's  a  Digit  igrade ! "  lie  ex- 
claimed, when  he  discovered  the  fox,  which 
was  one  of  Oscar's  first  specimens.  "  Now,  if 
you  think  you  can  afford  to  work  for  us  for 
that  amount  of  money,  we  shall  be  glad  to 
employ  you.  I  know  that  the  committee 
will  indorse  any  bargain  I  may  make  with 
you  ;  but  in  order  to  make  '  assurance  doubly 
sure,'  perhaps  I  had  better  consult  with 
them  before  we  come  to  any  definite  under- 
standing." 

Oscar  had  stood  with  his  board  in  one  hand 
and  his  pencil  in  the  other,  ready  to  note  down 
as  many  of  the  visitor's  hard  words  as  he 
could  catch  ;  but  while  he  listened,  his  hands 
graduall}7"  fell,  until  they  rested  by  his  side, 
and  when  the  professor  ceased  speaking,  he 
backed  up  against  his  work-bench  and  leaned 
heavily  upon  it. 

The  astounding  offer  of  a  hundred  dollars 
a  month  and  expenses  almost  knocked  him 
over. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MR.    SMITH    MAKES   AMENDS. 

(t  \7  OU  are  not  engaged  in  any  regular  oc- 
JL  cupation  now,  1  believe  ? "  continued  the 
professor. 

"No,  sir,  I  am  not,"  answered  Oscar,  as 
soon  as  lie  could  speak. 

"Then  I  suggest  that  you  keep  yourself  at 
liberty  until  you  hear  from  some  of  us.  I 
shall  return  to  the  city  by  the  first  train,  and, 
as  soon  as  I  can  see  the  committee,  our  secre- 
tary will  drop  you  a  line.  I  am  confident 
that  I  can  put  you  in  the  way  of  making  a 
name  and  a  living  for  yourself.  Good-morn- 
ing !" 

The  professor  disappeared  through  the 
door,  and  Oscar,  having  seen  him  close  the 
gate  behind  him,  drew  a  long  breath,  thrust 
his  hands  deep  into  his  pockets,  and  walked 
up  and  down  the  shop,  thinking  over  what 
had  transpired.  He  was  so  highly  excited 

156 


Mil.    SMITH    MAKES    AMENDS.  157 

that  lie  could  not  have  kept  still  to  save  his 
life. 

It  hardly  seemed  possible  that  the  art  of 
taxidermy,  which  he  had  taken  up  simply  as 
a  recreation,  should  be  the  means  of  making 
him  rich  and  famous,  and  he  could  not  bring 
himself  to  believe  that  such  was  the  fact. 

There  was  one  thing  that  stood  in  his  way. 
Everybody  who  came  in  contact  with  his  late 
visitor  seemed  to  think  that  there  was  some- 
thing wrong  with  him,  and  Oscar  himself  had 
seen  and  heard  enough  to  prove  that  the  pro- 
fessor was  a  very  strange  man. 

Perhaps  his  name  wasn't  Potter,  and  per- 
haps, too,  he  had  no  connection  whatever  with 
the  Yarmouth  University. 

"  I'll  not  build  any  hopes  upon  it,"  said  the 
boy,  as  these  thoughts  passed  through  his 
mind,  "and  neither  will  I  say  a  word  to 
mother  when  she  comes  home.  She  would  be 
very  much  disappointed  if  it  turned  out  to  be 
a  hoax,  and  I  don't  see  how  she  can  stand  any 
more  trouble.  Sam  will  be  around  some  time 
to-day,  most  likely,  and  I'll  ask  him  what 
he  thinks  about  it.  He  has  good,  sound 


158      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUXTEU. 

sense,  and,  besides,  lie  knows  how  to  keep  a 
secret." 

Oscar  picked  up  his  broom  again,  but  very 
soon  found  that  he  had  lost  interest  in  every- 
thing except  Professor  Potter  and  his  astonish- 
ing proposition. 

He  could  not  keep  his  mind  on  anything 
else,  nor  could  he  calm  his  excitement ;  and 
believing  that  a  brisk  walk  in  the  open  air 
would  be  more  agreeable  than  working  in  the 
dusty  shop,  he  locked  the  door,  picked  up  his 
wheelbarrow  as  he  passed  through  the  yard, 
and  set  out  for  Mr.  Peck's  boat-house,  Bugle 
leading  the  way. 

He  found  his  decoys,  sail,  and  oars  where  he 
had  left  them,  and  having  packed  them  away 
in  his  wheelbarrow,  he  turned  his  face  toward 
home. 

As  he  was  passing  across  the  park  he  heard 
someone  calling  to  him.  He  stopped,  and 
looking  across  the  street,  saw  Mr.  Anderson 
running  toward  him  and  beckoning  with  his 
hand. 

u  What  does  he  want,  I  wonder?  "  thought 
the  boy.  "I  don't  care  to  see  him;  but  if 


MR.    SMITH    MAKES    AMENDS.  1T)9 

he  wants  to  see  me,  lie  can  come  where  I 
am." 

He  set  down  the  wheelbarrow,  and  taking 
his  seat  on  one  of  the  handles,  looked  at  Mr. 
Anderson,  who  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the 
street  and  waved  his  hand  to  him. 

"  Come  over  here  !  "  he  shouted. 

'%I  can't  see  it,"  said  Oscar  to  himself.  "I 
have  been  insulted  in  that  store  once,  and  I 
never  want  to  see  the  inside  of  it  again.  If 
he  has  anything  to  say  to  me,  we'll  have 
the  interview  right  here,  for  this  is  neutral 
ground." 

Oscar  kept  his  seat  on  the  wheelbarrow, 
and  resting  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  looked  up 
and  down  the  street  in  an  indifferent  sort  of 
way,  as  if  he  meant  to  show  that  Mr.  Ander- 
son and  his  movements  did  not  interest  him  in 
the  least. 

The  junior  partner,  finding  that  the  boy 
paid  no  attention  to  his  words  and  signals, 
came  across  the  street  and  hurried  up  to  him. 

Our  hero  was  astonished  at  his  greeting. 
He  thrust  out  his  hand,  and  Oscar  placed  his 
own  within  it. 


160      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  yon  again,"  said  Mr. 
Anderson  cheerfully.  "It  looks  natural  to 
see  you  around.  Come  over  to  the  store.  Mr. 
Smith  has  something  very  particular  to  say  to 
you." 

"I  guess  I  had  better  not  go,"  replied 
Oscar.  "I  am  not  in  your  employ  now";  and 
I  may  say  something  I  shall  be  sorry  for." 

"No,  you  won't,  for  the  opportunity  will 
not  be  given  yon  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Anderson 
earnestly.  "  You'll  have  no  cause  for  saying 
hard  things.  Be  guided  by  me,  just  this  once, 
and  come  in.  You  will  never  regret  it." 

Oscar  took  a  few  minutes  in  which  to  think 
about  it.  Finally  he  arose  to  his  feet,  and 
pushing  his  wheelbarrow  off  the  walk,  out  of 
the  way,  he  followed  the  junior  partner  across 
the  street,  and  into  the  store. 

When  they  entered  the  office,  Mr.  Anderson 
closed  and  locked  the  door.  Mr.  Smith  occu- 
pied his  usual  place  on  his  high  stool,  but  he 
scrambled  down  from  it  with  great  haste 
and  gave  his  former  clerk  a  most  cordial  wel- 
come. 

"Oscar,"  said  he,  "  I  find  that  I  have  done 


MR.    SMITH   MAKES   AMENDS.  161 

you  very  great  injustice,  and  I  am  sorry  for 
it." 

The  boy's  face  relaxed  on  the  instant. 
Knowing  Mr.  Smith  as  well  as  he  did,  he  had 
never  expected  him  to  make  such  a  confession 
as  this. 

"Then  perhaps  you  wouldn't  mind  telling 
me  why  I  was  discharged,  and  why  you  re- 
fused to  give  me  the  letter  of  recommendation 
for  which  I  asked,"  said  Oscar. 

Mr.  Smith  cleared  his  throat  two  or  three 
times,  and  climbed  back  to  his  high  stool  again. 
It  was  hard  work  for  him  to  answer  that 
question  ;  and  when  he  met  the  gaze  of  the 
clear,  honest  eyes  that  were  looking  straight 
into  his  own,  he  wondered  how  he  could 
ever  have  suspected  their  owner  of  being  a 
thief. 

'•  Well,  the  amount  of  it  is,  that  somebody 
has  been  robbing  our  till  systematically,"  said 
he,  when  he  had  mustered  up  courage  enough 
to  give  utterance  to  the  words.  "All  our 
clerks  except  you  had  been  with  us  for  a  long 
term  of  years.  We  had  the  utmost  confidence 

in  their  honesty,  and— and " 

11 


162      TWO    WAYS    OF    BKCO.MIMr    A    IK'NTER. 

"  And  you  suspected  me  !  "  exclaimed  Oscar, 
his  face  reddening  with  indignation. 

"  Well,  yes  ;  that's  the  plain  English  of  it. 
But  we  have  since  found  out  that  we  made  a 
woeful  mistake.  The  guilty  one  has  been  dis- 
covered, and  has  made  a  full  confession,  in 
which  he  took  particular  pains  to  clear  you  of 
all  suspicion.  Now,  we  are  anxious  to  make 
all  the  amends  in  our  power.  Do  you  want  to 
come  back  here  at  thirty  dollars  a  month  ? " 

"No,. sir,'*  replied  Oscar  promptly. 

The  two  grocers  seemed  very  much  surprised 
at  this  answer.  They  looked  at  each  other  and 
at  Oscar,  as  if  they  were  waiting  for  him  to 
say  something  more,  but  as  he  did  not  speak, 
Mr.  Smith  continued  : 

"Then  we'll  say  thirty-five  ;  and  that  is  al- 
most double  the  amount  we  paid  you  before/' 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  but  I  can- 
not accept  the  offer,"  answered  Oscar. 

"  You  do  not  bear  us  any  ill-will,  I  hope," 
said  Mr.  Anderson. 

"None  whatever,  I  assure  you.  I  am  over- 
joyed to  know  that  you  no  longer  believe  me 
to  be  dishonest,  and  I  shall  think  of  you  with 


Mil.    SMITH   MAKES   AMENDS.  1C3 

as  kindly  feelings  as  I  ever  did  ;  bat  I  can't 
come  back  to  the  store,  for  I  have  something 
better  in  prospect." 

"  For  your  sake,  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it ; 
for  my  own,  I  am  sorry,"  said  Mr.  Smith,  and 
the  words  came  from  his  heart.  "  If  the  time 
ever  comes  when  we  can  advance  your  interests 
in  any  way,  do  not  hesitate  to  call  upon  us. 
You  are  at  perfect  liberty  to  use  the  firm's 
name  whenever  it  will  be  of  benefit  to  you. 
We  know  you  to  be  an  honest,  capa'ble  boy, 
and  we  shall  take  pleasure  in  recommending 
you  as  such." 

"  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you,  sir,  and  I 
may  some  day  be  glad  to  take  advantage  of 
your  kind  offer.  Now,  I  will  bid  you  good-by." 

"  Just  one  word  more,  Oscar,"  said  Mr. 
Anderson,  as  the  boy  laid  his  hand  upon  the 
door-knob;  "if  you  don't  secure  that  better 
thing  of  which  you  were  speaking,  remember 
that  your  old  position  is  open  to  you." 

"  At  thirty-five  dollars  a  month,"  chimed  in 
Mr.  Smith. 

"  Thank  you  ;  I'll  bear  it  in  mind." 

Oscar's  excitement,  which  had  been  worked 


164       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTJIR. 

up  to  almost  fever-lieat  by  the  conversation  he 
had  had  with  the  professor  in  his  work-shop 
that  morning,  was  greatly  increased  by  this 
interview  ;  but  still  he  managed  to  keep  a  few 
of  his  wits  about  him,  and  when  he  passed  out 
into  the  store  he  ran  his  eyes  hastily  around 
to  see  if  any  of  the  clerks  were  missing.  They 
were  all  there  except  one. 

"  I'm  glad  tosee  you,  Oscar !  "  cried  Hudson, 
the  oldest  clerk  in  the  store.  "You  look  as 
happy  as  a  clam.  Coming  back  ? " 

"It  is  hardly  probable,''  was  the  reply. 
"Where's  Stuart?" 

"  Stuart  has  been  sick  in  bed  ever  since  Fri- 
day— something  like  brain  fever,  I  think,"  an- 
swered Hudson. 

"  He  works  here  yet,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  01),  yes  ;  he'll  be  back  as  soon  as  he  gets 
well.  And  I'll  tell  you  something,  Preston, 
which  surprised  me  when  I  first  found  it  out: 
Mr.  Smith's  got  a  heart.  I  heard  him  say  that 
Stuart's  wages  would  go  right  on." 

"It  is  very  strange,"  thought  Oscar,  as  he 
closed  the  door  behind  him.  "  Xone  of  the 
clerks  have  been  discharged,  so  the  till-tapper, 


MR.    SMITH   MAKES   AMENDS.  165 

whoever  lie  is,  must  still  be  in  the  store.  I 
was  dismissed  when  there  was  not  the  least 
proof  against  me,  and  now  a  confessed  thief  is 
allowed  to  retain  his  situation.  I  don't  see 
much  justice  in  that.  Well,  perhaps  the  guilty 
fellow  is  one  of  their  trusted  men,  and  Smith  & 
Anderson  don't  want  to  make  any  stir  about  it." 

"Morning,  Oscar!"  exclaimed  the  post- 
office  clerk,  who  just  then  hurried  by,  with 
his  face  buried  in  the  collar  of  his  overcoat. 
"  Letter  in  your  box." 

Oscar,  thanking  him  for  the  information, 
turned  down  the  street,  and  crossed  over  to 
the  post-office,  and  all  the  while  he  seemed  to 
be  treading  on  air,  so  light  and  buoyant  were 
his  spirits. 

He  had  heard  good  news  from  two  sources 
that  forenoon,  and  there  was  something  else 
agreeable  in  store  for  him,  as  he  found  when 
the  letter  was  placed  in  his  hands. 

It  proved  to  be  from  Calkins  &  Son,  who 
acknowledged  the  receipt,  in  good  order,  of  the 
eighteen  brace  of  ducks  that  had  been  sent  to 
them  on  Saturday,  asked  for  a  shipment  of 
grouse,  quails,  or  hares  at  once,  and  enclosed 


166       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

their  check  for  87.20,  made  payable  to  Oscar's 
order. 

After  reading  the  letter,  lie  put  it  into  his 
pocket,  seized  the  wheelbarrow,  which  now 
seemed  as  light  as  a  feather,  and  trundled  it 
home  in  much  less  time  than  he  had  ever  con- 
sumed in  making  the  journey  before. 

He  let  himself  into  the  shop,  and  while  he 
was  busy  putting  away  his  decoys,  a  lively 
whistle  sounded  in  the  yard,  and  Sam  Hynes 
came  rushing  in. 

"0  Sam  !  "  exclaimed  Oscar. 

"Hallo!  What's  the  matter  with  you?" 
demanded  the  visitor,  who  saw  that  his  friend 
was  greatly  excited  about  something. 

"  I've  had  the  best  luck  in  the  world  to-day," 
answered  Oscar.  "  In  the  first  place,  the  fel- 
low who  got  me  into  all  that  trouble  with 
Smith  &  Anderson  has  been  discovered,  and 
has  made  a  full  confession." 

"No!"  cried  Sam,  opening  his  eyes  and 
looking  very  much  surprised. 

"  It's  a  fact.  Mr.  Smith  informed  me,  not  an 
hour  ago,  that  he  had  done  me  great  injustice, 
and  he  was  sorry  for  it." 


Mil.    SMITH   MARKS    AMENDS.  167 

"  You  don't  tell  me  so  !  "  cried  Sam,  seating 
himself  on  the  bench  and  looking  the  very 
picture  of  amazement  and  delight.  "Who 
was  the  guilty  rascal  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,  and  I  couldn't  find  out.  I 
didn't  ask  Mr.  Smith,  and  he  didn't  volunteer 
the  information.  The  clerks  were  busy  in  the 
store  to-day,  and  they  were  all  there  except 
Stuart.  He  is  ill,  and  will  come  back  as  soon 
as  he  gets  well ;  so  the  thief,  whoever  he  is, 
still  holds  his  position." 

Sam  was  really  astonished  now,  and  the  de- 
light he  feigned  became  genuine  when  Oscar 
continued  : 

"Mr.  Smith  told  me  that  my  old  situation 
was  open  to  me  at  thirty-five  dollars  a 
month." 

"Good!"  exclaimed  Sam,  jumping  off  the 
bench  and  extending  his  hand.  "When  do 
yon  go  back  ?" 

"  I  am  not  going  back  at  all.  I  have  some- 
thing better." 

Sam  opened  his  eyes  again,  and  listened  at- 
tentively while  Oscar  went  on  to  describe  the 
interview  he  had  had  with  Professor  Potter, 


168       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING  A   HUNTER. 

and  to  tell  him  of  the  liberal  offer  the  latter 
had  made  him. 

He  did  not  forget  to  inform  his  friend  that 
the  professor  still  wore  his  (Sam's)  cap  on  his 
head,  and  that  he  had  probably  carried  it  to 
the  city  with  him. 

As  Oscar  proceeded  with  his  stoiy,  the  look 
of  astonishment  on  Sam's  face  gradually  gave 
way  to  an  altogether  different  expression,  and 
when  Oscar  ceased  speaking,  he  seated  himself 
on  the  bench  again,  and  gazed  down  at  the 
floor  in  a  brown  study. 

"  Now,  then,  what's  the  matter  with  you  ?  " 
demanded  Oscar. 

"If  I  answer  your  question  at  all,  I  shall  say 
just  what  I  think,"  replied  Sam. 

"That  is  what  I  want  you  to  do.  Speak 
out." 

"  I  will.  You  have  missed  it.  If  you  are 
wise,  you  will  lose  no  time  in  telling  Mr. 
Smith  that  you  will  take  those  thirty-five 
dollars  a  month." 

"But,  Sarn,  I  can't  do  it.  I  promised  the 
professor  that  I  would  keep  myself  free  until 
I  heard  from  him." 


MR.    SMITH   MAKES   AMENDS.  169 

"  Professor !  "  exclaimed  Sam,  with  great 
disgust.  "  He  is  about  as  much  a  professor  as 
I  am." 

"If  you  had  heard  him  talk  this  morning, 
you  wouldn't  think  so.  I  tell  you  he  is  edu- 
cated." 

"That  may  be  ;  but  a  man  who  will  go  on 
as  he  did  when  we  pulled  him  out  of  the 
water,  and  who  hasn't  sense  enough  to  know 
when  he  is  wearing  a  cap  belonging  to  some- 
body else,  can't  have  much  wit.  Professor! 
He  never  saw  Yarmouth  University,  and  you'll 
never  hear  from  him  again,  either.  What 
have  you  got  there  \  "  added  Sam,  glancing  at 
a  piece  of  wood  which  his  companion  just  then 
took  from  the  work-bench. 

"I  wrote  down  some  of  his  hard  words,"  re- 
plied Oscar,  passing  the  board  over  to  Sam. 
"  You  are  fresh  from  your  books,  and  I'd 
like  to  have  you  translate  them  for  me.  I'll 
tell  you  what's  a  fact:  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  I  don't  know  anything  about 
natural  history." 

"He  talked  in  a  regular  scientific  style, 
didn't  he?"  said  Sam,  after  he  had  run  his 


170       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    ITUNTK11. 

eyes  over  the  board;  "  The  animal  kingdom, 
as  you  know,  is  divided  into  branches, 
classes,  orders,  families,  genera,  and  species. 
The  branch  Vertebrates  is  divided  into  five 
classes — fishes,  batrachians,  reptiles,  birds,  and 
mammalia.  The  class  birds  is  divided  into 
seven  orders,  two  of  which  you  have  put  down 
here.  The  Rasores  are  scratchers,  such  as  the 
turkey  and  grouse,  and  the  Insessores  are 
perchers.  To  this  order  belong  all  our  song- 
birds." 

"  Well,  he  went  down  the  river  after  some 
specimens  of  the  Fuligula  Valisneria"  said 
Oscar.  "  What  are  they  ?  " 

"  That's  a  conundrum,"  replied  Sam. 

"  What's  a  Bombycilla  Carolinensis  f  " 

"I  give  it  up.  There  are  only  a  few  words 
more  here  that  I  can  understand  ;  and,  Oscar, 
I'll  say  this  much  for  you:  your  spelling  is 
simply  fearful.  The  Pachydermata  are  thick- 
skinned  animals,  such  as  the  elephant  and 
rhinoceros;  the  Ruminantia  are  those  that 
chew  the  cud,  like  the  cow  and  sheep ;  the 
Digitigrades  walk  on  their  toes — the  cat  and 
dog  belong  to  this  family— and  the  Planti- 


MR.    SMITH   MAKES   AMENDS.  171 

grades  walk  on  their  heels.  To  this  family 
the  bear  belongs.  That  is  as  far  as  I  can  help 
you.  But  I'll  tell  you  what  we  will  do," 
added  Sam,  jumping  down  from  the  bench  and 
pulling  out  his  watch.  "I'll  be  around  here 
to-night,  within  fifteen  minutes  after  school  is 
dismissed,  and  you  go  home  and  take  supper 
with  me.  In  the  early  part  of  the  evening  I'll 
beat  you  playing  a  game  of  chess,  and  then 
we'll  go  over  and  call  on  Mr.  Chamberlain, 
lie  will  make  everything  clear  to  you.  Idon'fc 
believe  you  have  been  near  him  since  you  left 
school." 

"  No,  I  haven't,"  answered  Oscar.  "  I  was 
obliged  to  neglect  everybody  while  I  was  in 
the  store.  I'll  be  ready  for  you." 

Sam  rushed  out,  slamming  the  door  behind 
him,  and  hurried  toward  the  gate  ;  but,  just 
then,  Oscar  happened  to  think  of  something, 
so  he  ran  to  the  door  and  called  him  back. 


I 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AN  EVENING  WITH  THE  PRINCIPAL. 

WILL  detain  you  but  a  moment,  Sam,"  ex- 


from  Calkins  &  Son  for  $7.20,  to  pay  for 
the  ducks  we  killed  on  Saturday." 

"Good  for  Calkins  &  Son!"  replied  Sam. 
"  If  they  are  always  as  prompt  as  that,  they 
are  the  men  we  want  to  deal  with." 

"  Half  of  it  belongs  to  you,  you  know." 

"Yes,  I  know  it,"  answered  Sam,  once 
more  turning  his  face  toward  the  gate.  "  You 
act  as  my  banker,  and  when  I  want  my  share, 
I'll  make  out  a  draft  for  it." 

"Hold  on,  Sam  !  "  shouted  Oscar,  who  knew 
very  well  what  this  meant;  'Til  do  nothing 
of  the  kind." 

"  Oscar,  you  are  the  most  stubborn  fellow  I 
ever  had  anything  to  do  with,"  said  Sam, 
shaking  his  finger  at  his  friend,  and  utterly 
ignoring  the  fact  that  he  had  never  been 

172 


AN   EVENING   WITH   THE   PRINCIPAL.      173 

known  to  give  up  to  Oscar  in  a  single  instance. 
"I  never  saw  so  obstinate  a  boy  ;  you  want 
your  own  way  all  the  time.  Now,  put  that 
check  in  your  pocket  and  keep  it  there.  If  it 
is  too  much  trouble  for  you  to  do  that,  give  it 
to  the  poor.  Good-by,  and  be  ready  for  me 
at  a  quarter  past  four." 

Sam  turned  down  the  street  and  set  off  at  a 
rapid  trot.  He  had  just  time  enough  left  to 
eat  his  dinner  and  reach  the  school-house  be- 
fore the  last  bell  rang. 

"  If  there  is  a  confiding  fellow  in  the  world, 
it  is  that  Oscar  Preston,"  said  he  to  himself, 
as  he  ran  along.  "  That  crazy  man  has  bam- 
boozled him  completely.  I  was  sorry  to  dash 
all  his  bright  hopes  to  the  ground,  but  I 
thought  he  ought  to  be  waked  up  to  the  real 
facts  of  the  case.  I  never  saw  a  boy  look  so 
sorrowful  and  downhearted  as  he  did  when  I 
told  him  what  I  thought  about  it.  I  wish 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  it  was  an  offer  he 
could  depend  on.  Wouldn't  he  be  in  clover, 
though  !  A  hundred  dollars  a  month  and  ex- 
penses, for  travelling  about  the  country  shoot- 
ing birds  and  animals  !  Just  think  of  it !  " 


174       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

Oscar  watched  his  friend  as  long  as  lie  re- 
mained in  sight,  and  then,  leaning  his  elbows 
on  the  work-bench,  he  rested  his  chin  upon 
his  hands  and  looked  thoughtfully  out  of  the 
window  toward  the  evergreen  screen  behind 
the  house. 

He  was  by  no  means  as  cheerful  and  hopeful 
as  he  had  been  a  short  half  hour  before.  His 
crony's  visit  had  depressed  his  spirits  wonder- 
fully, but  Sam  was  not  to  blame  for  that. 

He  had  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  the 
president's  proposition,  and  Sam — as  he  always 
did — had  answered  his  question  promptly,  and 
in  language  that  could  not  possibly  be  misun- 
derstood. 

Perhaps  Sam  was  right,  and  he  would  never 
again  hear  of  the  man  who  had  called  himself 
President  Potter. 

Oscar  had  resolved  more  than  once  that  day 
that  he  would  not  build  any  hopes  upon  the 
offer  he  had  received ;  but,  in  spite  of  all  his 
efforts,  his  thoughts  would  dwell  upon  it,  and 
every  little  while  he  found  himself  indulging 
in  some  rosy  dreams  of  the  future. 

Would  it  not  be  a  good  plan  to  take  Sam's 


AX   EVENING    WITH   THE   PRINCIPAL.      175 

advice  and  tell  Mr.  Smith  that  he  would  go 
back  to  the  store  for  the  wages  he  had,  of  his 
own  free  will,  offered  to  give  him  ? 

The  thirty-live  dollars  a  month  he  was  sure 
of — the  larger  sum  he  was  not  sure  of.  While 
he  was  thinking  about  it,  his  mother  came  to 
the  door  and  called  him  to  dinner. 

The  first  thing  Oscar  did  when  lie  entered 
the  dining  room  was  to  place  in  his  mother's 
hands  the  money  he  had  been  paid  by  Mr. 
Jackson,  and  the  check  he  had  received  from 
Calkins  &  Son  ;  but  he  said  not  a  word  to  her 
regarding  the  interviews  he  had  held  with 
Professor  Potter  and  Mr.  Smith. 

He  could  not  describe  these  interviews  with- 
out telling  of  the  propositions  that  had  been 
made  him,  and  he  did  not  want  to  do  that 
until  he  had  determined  upon  something. 

He  wanted  time  to  look  at  the  matter  from 
every  possible  standpoint,  and  he  found  ample 
opportunity  to  do  it  that  afternoon,  for.  he 
spent  very  little  time  in  work.  He  went  back 
to  the  shop  as  soon  as  he  had  eaten  his  dinner, 
but  he  could  find  nothing  there  to  interest 
him. 


176       TWO    WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

He  finished  sweeping  out,  and  rearranged 
his  specimens  on  the  shelves,  but  it  was  all 
done  by  snatches.  He  would  work  a  few 
minutes,  and  then  he  would  walk  up  and 
down  the  shop  with  his  eyes  fastened  upon 
the  floor. 

When  four  o'clock  came  his  chores  were 
all  done,  and  having  exchanged  his  working- 
clothes  for  a  neat  business  suit,  he  was  ready 
to  accompany  Sam  to  his  home,  where  he 
passed  a  few  hours  in  the  most  agreeable 
manner. 

Everybody  who  visited  there  said  that  Mr. 
II y nes'  s  house  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  and 
happiest  in  Eaton,  and  Oscar  had  always  found 
it  so.  It  was  just  the  place  to  go  when  one 
was  troubled  with  the  blues,  as  our  hero  had 
been  all  that  afternoon. 

Sam's  father  and  mother  were  very  jolly 
people,  and  his  sister,  besides  being  a  fine 
singer  and  pianist,  played  chess  so  well  that 
Oscar,  who  was  sometimes  given  to  boasting  of 
his  own  skill,  was  often  badly  worsted. 

Seven  o'clock  came  almost  before  the  boys 
knew  it,  and  then  they  put  on  their  caps  and 


AN   EVENING   WITH   THE   PRINCIPAL.       177 

set  out  to  visit  the  principal  of  the  High 
School. 

Ringing  the  bell  at  his  door,  they  were 
ushered  into  the  library,  where  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain sat  with  his  slippered  feet  on  the 
fender  and  the  evening's  paper  in  his 
hand. 

He  greeted  Oscar  very  cordially,  for  the 
latter  had  been  one  of  his  favorite  pupils.  He 
had  never  been  known  to  break  one  of  the 
rules  of  school,  and  had  never  been  repri- 
manded. He  went  to  school  to  learn,  and  for 
no  other  purpose. 

Do  you  know  such  a  boy  \  If  you  do,  you 
know  one  whom  all  his  teachers  like. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Oscar,"  said 
Mr.  Chamberlain,  as  he  shook  his  visitors 
warmly  by  the  hand  and  placed  chairs  for 
them  ;  "and  I  must  congratulate  you  on  your 
good  fortune.  I  knew  it  would  come  after 
awhile." 

4k  Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Oscar,  won- 
dering how  the  gentleman  had  heard  of  it. 

"  It  never  does  any  good  to  allow  ourselves 
to  get  discouraged,"  continued  Mr.  Chamber- 
is 


178       TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING    A    IIUNTKK. 

lain,  sinking  back  into  his  easy-chair.  "  It  is 
always  darkest  just  before  daylight,  yon  know. 
I  must  say  that  I  am  surprised  as  well  as  de- 
lighted." 

''So  am  I,  sir,"  returned  Oscar.  "I  never 
expected,  that  he  would,  make  an  acknowl- 
edgment, even  though  he  received  the  most 
positive  proof  that  he  had  been  mistaken." 

''Acknowledgment!"  repeated  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain. "  Who  made  any  acknowledgment? 
What  are  you  talking  about,  Oscar  ? " 

"Why,  I  thought  you  referred  to  what 
passed  between  Mr.  Smith  and  myself  to-day," 
replied  the  boy. 

11 1  hadn't  heard  anything  about  that.  Has 
Mr.  Smith  found  out  that  he  did  you  in- 
justice ?  I  am  glad  of  it,"  said  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain, upon  receiving  an  affirmative  nod  from 
Sam.  "I  knew  that  would  come,  too.  You 
may  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  not 
a  single  one  of  your  friends ^ver  believed  any- 
thing wrong  against  you.  I  may  also  say,"  he 
added,  with  a  smile,  looking  toward  Sam,  who 
blushed  to  the  roots  of  his  hair,  "that  some  of 
your  acquaintances  hold  very  strong  opinions 


AN    EVENING    WITH   THE   PRINCIPAL.      179 

on  that  point,  and  that  those  opinions  have 
been  enforced  with  the  aid  of  a  ball-club.  But 
I  \vas  speaking  of  the  offer  you  received  from 
President  Potter.  He  called  on  you  this  morn- 
ing, did  he  not? " 

"Do  you  know  him,  Mr.  Chamberlain?"  ex- 
claimed Sam. 

"  Certainly  I  do.  He  was  my  old  preceptor, 
and  my  guest  while  he  was  in  Eaton." 

"But  is  he  really  president  of  the  Yarmouth 
University  ? " 

"  He  certainly  is.  What  else  did  you  take 
him  for?" 

"  I  took  him  for  a  crazy  man,"  replied  Sam 
bluntly. 

"A  crazy  man!  Sam,  I  am  surprised  at 
you!" 

"  Well,  no\v,  Mr.  Chamberlain,  if  you  had 
been  in  our  boat  and  had  heard  him  talk  when 
we  pulled  him  out  of  the  water,  you  would 
have  thought  so  yourself,  if  you  had  been  a 
stranger  to  him." 

With  this  introduction  Sam  went  on  to  re- 
peat the  speech  the  professor  had  made  while 
he  was  lying  on  the  bottom  of  Oscar's  skiff. 


180       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

He  bad  paid  particular  attention  to  it,  and 
could  recall  it  word  for  word. 

"That  is  just  like  him,"  said  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain. "If  he  were  lecturing  a  class  in  this 
room  to-night,  and  the  house  should  catch 
fire,  he  wouldn't  leave  off  until  the  smoke  or 
flames  drove  him  out.  He  becomes  so  com- 
pletely absorbed  in  his  subject  that  he  doesn't 
seem  to  hear  or  see  anything ;  and  I  have 
known  mischievous  students  to  steal  out  of  the 
class-room,  one  after  another,  until  there  were 
not  more  than  three  or  four  left,  and  he  never 
missed  them.  If  I  had  not  called  his  attention 
to  the  fact  that  he  had  Sam's  cap  on  his  head, 
he  would  have  worn  it  to  Yarmouth  when  he 
went  away  this  afternoon.  Sam,  you  will  find 
the  article  in  question  on  the  hat-rack,  when 
you  go  home." 

"  I'd  like  to  ask  one  question,  before  I  for- 
get it,"  said  Oscar.  "  Is  it  possible  that  there 
are  men  who,  by  looking  at  a  single  bone,  can 
give  you  the  name  of  the  beast  or  bird  to 
which  that  bone  belongs  ?  Mr.  Potter  told  me 
to-day  that  some  of  his  students  once  brought 
him  a  bone  they  had  found  in  the  woods,  and 


AN   EVENING   AVITII   THE   PRINCIPAL.      181 

which  they  supposed  to  be  the  bone  of  a 
mastodon ;  but  it  proved  to  be  the  bone  of 
an  ox." 

Mr.  Chamberlain  leaned  his  head  against 
the  back  of  his  chair,  looked  up  at  the  ceiling, 
and  laughed  until  his  eyes  were  filled  with 
tears. 

"I  wonder  if  the  professor  still  remembers 
that  little  incident  ? "  said  he.  "If  my  memory 
serves  me,  I  used  to  be  pretty  well  acquainted 
with  that  same  student.  He  knew  very  well 
that  the  bone  did  not  belong  to  a  mastodon, 
but  he  thought  he  would  test  the  old  gentle- 
man's knowledge.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
say  that  he  was  entirely  satisfied  with  the 
result  of  the  experiment,  and  had  the  laugh 
turned  on  him  completely  by  the  other 
students  who  were  in  the  plot." 

There  was  something  in  Mr.  Chamberlain's 
tone  that  made  the  two  boys  smile  at  each 
other.  They  believed  that  if  the  principal  had 
given  the  name  of  that  student,  he  would  have 
given  one  that  sounded  very  much  like  his 
own  name. 

"  The  professor  told  me  to-day  that  he  had 


182       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

offered  you  a  hundred  dollars  a  month  and 
all  expenses,  to  procure  specimens  for  the 
university  museum,"  continued  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain, addressing  himself  to  Oscar,  "and 
you  may  rest  assured  that  you  will  get  it. 
Mr.  Potter  has  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  to 
spend  in  that  way,  and  I  see  no  reason  why 
you  should  not  earn  a  good  portion  of  it. 
You  have  a  number  of  years  of  steady  employ- 
ment before  you,  at  more  than  living  wages, 
if  you  are  inclined  to  accept  this  offer." 

The  boys  listened  to  these  words  with  the 
greatest  amazement,  and  it  is  hard  to  tell 
which  of  the  two  was  the  more  delighted 
thereat. 

Sam  was  overjoyed  to  learn  that  he  had 
been  mistaken  in  the  opinions  he  had  formed, 
and  could  hardly  refrain  from  jumping  up 
and  tossing  his  cap  into  the  air. 

As  for  Oscar — he  blessed  his  lucky  stars 
that  he  had  not  accepted  Mr.  Smith's  offer,  as 
he  had  more  than  once  been  tempted  to  do 
that  afternoon. 

"Mr.  Chamberlain,"  said  Sam,  as  soon  as 
he  had  controlled  his  excitement,  so  that  he 


AX   EVENING   WITH   THE   PKIXC1PAL.      183 

could  talk  intelligibly,  "  what  is  a — a — where" s 
that  list,  Oscar?" 

The  latter  produced  a  piece  of  paper,  on 
which  he  had  copied  the  hard  words  he  had 
written  on  his  pine  board  that  morning — that 
is,  all  that  Sam  had  not  been  able  to  translate 
for  him — and  handed  it  to  his  companion, 
who  passed  it  over  to  the  principal. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  glanced  at  the  first  words 
on  the  list,  and  shook  his  head. 

"  Perhaps  I  haven't  spelled  them  correctly," 
observed  Oscar. 

"They  are  the  things  the  professor  went 
down  the  river  after  on  Saturday,"  chimed  in 
Sam. 

"Oh,  the  Fuligula  Valisneria"  exclaimed 
Mr.  Chamberlain.  "That  is  the  canvas-back 
duck." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  both  boys,  in  concert. 

"The  family  Canidce  is  the  dog  family," 
said  Mr.  Chamberlain,  turning  again  to  the 
list.  "The  family  Tetraonidce  is  the  grouse 
family,  and  Tetra  Ifmbellus  is  the  ruffed 
grouse,  which  almost  everybody  calls  a  par- 
tridge. In  the  South,  the  quail  is  called  a 


184      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING  A   HUNTER. 

partridge,  and  the  grouse  is  called  a  pheasant. 
I  hope  you  boys  will  never  allow  yourselves  to 
fall  into  such  habits.  You  can't  begin  too 
early  in  life  to  call  things  by  their  right 
names.  To  the  family  Ampelidce  belong  the 
chatterers ;  Bombycilla  Carolinensis  is  the 
cedar  bird.  The  Cervidce  comprise  the  deer 
family,  and  Cervus  Virginianus  is  our  com- 
mon red  deer;  the  hollow-horned  ruminants 
are  the  antelopes.  There  is  only  one  species 
in  the  United  States,  and  that  is  the  prong- 
horn  of  our  Western  plains.  If  you  should 
go  out  there  to  hunt  him,  you  would  see  no 
end  of  sport,  Oscar,  and,  I  suppose,  no  end  of 
hard  times.  I  hope  you  will  not  expect  to 
find  it  all  plain  sailing,  simply  because  you 
have  stepped  into  an  agreeable  and  profitable 
situation.  Ursus  Americanus  is  the  Ameri- 
can black  bear  ;  Ursus  Iwrribilis — you 
mustn't  have  anything  to  do  with  him — that's 
the  grizzly  bear,  the  most  dangerous  and 
dreaded  animal  in  the  country.  Urus  mari- 
timus — that's  the  polar  bear — is  almost  as 
bad." 

"The  names  on  that  list  include  the  animals 


AN   EVENING   WITH   THE   PRINCIPAL. 

they  want  in  their  museum,"  said  Sam,  "  and 
Oscar  will  be  obliged  to  hunt  them  if  they  tell 
him  to  do  so." 

"Would  you  dare  do  it?"  asked  Mr. 
Chamberlain,  looking  at  Oscar. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  My  courage  has  never 
been  put  to  the  test.  Bat  I  will  say  this :  If 
they  will  give  me  a  chance  to  work  around 
home  until  I  can  earn  money  enough  to  sup- 
port my  mother  while  I'm  gone,  I'll  start  for 
the  plains,  or  for  Africa,  within  twenty-four 
hours  after  I  receive  their  order." 

"I  like  that  spirit,"  said  Mr.  Chamberlain. 
"  If  you  are  going  into  a  thing,  go  into  it  as 
though  you  were  alive  and  wide  awake.  By 
the  way " 

The  principal  laid  down  the  list,  and  arose 
to  his  feet.  Opening  his  bookcase,  he  took 
from  it  two  large  and  finely  bound  volumes, 
which  he  placed  upon  the  table  at  Oscar's 
elbou*. 

"  When  you  go  home,  take  these  books 
with  you,"  said  he.  "  Keep  them  as  long  as 
they  are  of  any  use  to  yon,  and  they  will  tell 
you  everything  you  want  to  know  about  birds 


186       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

and  animals,  scientific  names  and  all.  I  have 
the  best  of  reasons  for  saying  that  you  will  be 
summoned  to  Yarmouth  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days,  to  pass  a  sort  of  examination  before  the 
committee,  and  I  want  you  to  acquit  yourself 
with  honor  ;  so,  if  I  were  in  your  place,  I 
would  spend  all  my  spare  time  in  '  cram- 
ming.' " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    BLACK     FOX. 

OSCAR  thanked  the  principal  warmly  for 
his  advice  and  for  the  interest  he  took  in 
his  affairs,  and  just  then  the  little  clock  on  the 
mantle  chimed  the  hour  of  nine. 

The  boys,  having  promised  to  be  at  their 
respective  homes  by  that  time,  bade  Mr. 
Chamberlain  good-night  and  hurried  out,  Sam 
taking  possession  of  his  cap  as  he  passed 
through  the  hall. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  situation  now  ?  " 
inquired  Oscar,  when  the  gate  had  been  closed 
behind  them. 

Sam  stopped,  and,  by  way  of  reply,  seized 
his  companion's  hand,  giving  it  a  grip  and  a 
shake  that  would  have  made  almost  any  other 
boy  double  up  with  pain. 

"I  never  wanted  to  yell  so  badly  in  my  life 
as  I  did  when  Mr.  Chamberlain  told  us  that 
that  crazy  man  was  just  what  he  represented 

187 


188      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING  A   HUNTER. 

himself  to  be,"  said  Sara.  "I'll  hold  in  until 
we  have  our  next  practice  game  of  ball,  or 
until  you  and  I  go  down  the  river  again,  and 
then  won't  I  make  things  ring?  Say,  Oscar, 
when  you  are  knocking  over  that  big  game, 
right  and  left,  you'll  think  of  a  fellow,  won't 
you?" 

"  Indeed  I  will,  Sam.  How  much  I  wish 
you  could  go  with  me,  if  I  go  !  " 

"  Oh,  you'll  go — you  need  have  no  fears 
on  that  score  !  "  exclaimed  Sam,  with  great 
enthusiasm.  "I  should  like  to  be  hanging 
on  to  the  sleeve  of  your  jacket  about  the  time 
you  catch  sight  of  your  first  antelope,  but  it 
isn't  to  be  thought  of.  I  must  be  in  Harvard 
by  a  year  from  next  fall,  if  I  have  brains 
enough  to  get  there.  Father  has  set  his  heart 
upon  it,  and,  as  he  is  the  very  best  father 
any  boy  ever  had,  I  wouldn'  t  disappoint  him 
for  the  world." 

"Of  course  not,"  said  Oscar.  "Now,  Sam, 
I  want  to  ask  you  a  question  :  What  have  you 
been  doing  ? " 

"Nothing — nothing  whatever,"  said  his 
companion  promptly.  "I  have  read  some- 


THE   BLACK  FOX.  189 

where,  Oscar,  that  the  way  those  fellows  on 
the  plains  hunt  the  prongliorn  is  to— 

"That  won't  do,  Sam,"  interrupted  Oscar. 
"I  want  to  talk  about  another  matter.  You 
have  been  hitting  somebody  with  a  ball- 
club  !  " 

"  No,  I  haven't — honor  bright !  "  exclaimed 
Sam,  with  a  great  show  of  earnestness.  "I 
never  in  my  life  hit  anything  with  a  ball-club 
except  the  ball  and  the  home  base.  Why, 
man  alive,  I'd  be  afraid  to  do  it !" 

The  boys  had  by  this  time  reached  Sam's 
home,  which  was  but  a  few  steps  from  Mr. 
Chamberlain's  house. 

As  Sam  was  about  to  open  the  gate,  Oscar 
shut  it  with  a  bang,  and  placed  his  back 
against  it.  After  that,  he  put  his  books  upon 
the  top  of  the  gate-post,  and  stood  ready  to 
resist  any  attempt  his  companion  might  make 
to  pull  him  away  from  his  position. 

"  Hallo,  here  !  "  cried  Sam,  with  well-feigned 
astonishment.  "What  do  you  mean  by 
that  performance?  Won't  you  let  me 
go  in?" 

"No,  sir,  I  won't — not  unless  you  can  pull 


190      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

me  away  from  here,  and  I  don't  know  whether 
you  can  do  that  or  not !  " 

"  I  don't,  either,"  replied  Sam,  backing  off, 
and  putting  his  hands  in  his  pockets  ;  "  so  I'll 
not  try.  But  it  is  after  nine  o'clock,  and  I 
ought  to  be  in  bed  and  fast  asleep.  Some  of 
the  folks  might  come  out  here  to  look  forme." 

"  I  know  they  might,  but  they  won't.  Now, 
what  have  you  been  doing  with  that  ball-club  ? 
I  know  you  have  been  up  to  something,  for 
your  face  got  as  red  as  a  beet  when  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain spoke  about  it." 

"I  never  saw  so  obstinate  and  persistent  a 
fellow  as  you  are  when  you  once  get  your  mind 
set  on  a  thing,"  said  Sam,  leaning  his  elbow 
on  the  fence,  and  trying  to  look  like  a  boy  who 
was  very  badly  persecuted.  "I  punched  him 
with  it,  if  you  must  know." 

"  There !  I  told  you  that  you  had  been  hit- 
ting somebody." 

"But  I  say  I  didn't  hit  him!"  protested 
Sam.  "  I  only  poked  him  in  the  ribs  with  the 
end  of  it," 

"Him?    Who?" 

"  Leon  Parker." 


THE   BLACK    FOX.  191 

"And  got  yourself  into  trouble  by  it,  for 
Mr.  Chamberlain  kept  you  after  school  and 
gave  you  a  good  talking  to." 

"Well,  I  guess  that  was  about  the  way  of 
it,"  said  Sam  reflectively. 

"  What  did  you  poke  him  in  the  ribs  for  ?  " 

"Because  he  had  too  much  to  say  about — 
well,  he  had  too  much  to  say." 

"Look  here,  Sam,"  said  Oscar,  stepping  up 
and  laying  his  hand  npon  his  companion's 
shoulder;  "I  am  proud  of  your  friendship, 
and  I  know  it  will  continue  as  long  as  you  and 
I  live.  I  wouldn't  say  or  do  an}- thing  to  hurt 
your  feelings,  and  I  wish  you  would  be  equally 
careful  of  mine.  Now,  don't  get  yourself  into 
trouble  for  me  any  more." 

"Oh,  it  wasn't  the  least  trouble  in  the 
world,"  answered  Sam,  purposely  ignoring 
Oscar's  meaning  ;  he  thought  his  friend  was 
becoming  altogether  too  serious.  "  I  poked 
him  just  as  easy — and  I  never  hurt  him  a  bit, 
either." 

Oscar  was  obliged  to  laugh  in  spite  of  him- 
self. 

"Well,  promise  me  that  you  won't  poke 


192       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

any  more  boys  in  the  ribs  with  ball-clubs  be- 
cause they  talk  about  me,  for  I  know  that  was 
what  Leon  did,"  said  he. 

"  I  promise.  I'll  never  do  it  again,"  assured 
Sam  earnestly. 

"And  whatever  you  do,  don't  touch  Leon 
Parker,"  continued  Oscar.  "I  owe  a  great 
deal  to  his  father,  and  I  wouldn't  have  Leon 
hurt  for  anything.  He  hasn't  injured  me  by 
his  talking,  and  neither  has  anybody;  for  not 
one  of  those  whose  friendship  I  prize  has 
turned  against  me." 

"  That's  so,"  assented  Sam.  "  Well,  I  sup- 
pose I  must  say  good-night.  Shall  we  take 
another  trip  down  the  river  next  Saturday  ?  " 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'd  like  to  do,"  replied 
Oscar.  "I'd  like  to  make  an  effort  to  recover 
the  gun  the  professor  lost  when  his  boat  upset. 
He  said  it  was  a  borrowed  piece,  and  a  very 
valuable  one,  too." 

"lam  with  you.  We'll  take  the  decoys 
along,  and  then  if  the  ducks  happen  to  come 
our  way,  we  shall  be  all  ready  for  them. 
Good-night !  I  think  I  was  quite  safe  in  say- 
ing that  I  wouldn't  trouble  Leon  anymore," 


THE   BLACK   FOX.  193 

said  Sam,  as  lie  opened  the  front  door  and 
entered  the  house,  "for  the  lesson  I  gave  him 
a  few  days  ago  will  teach  him  that  he  had 
better  keep  his  slanderous  tongue  still.  A 
ball-club  is  a  pretty  hard  thing  to  push 
against  a  fellow's  ribs — that's  a  fact — and  I'll 
not  do  it  any  more.  I'll  use  my  fist  next 
time." 

If  Oscar  had  overheard  this  soliloquy,  he 
would  have  been  compelled  to  acknowledge 
that  he  had  not  gained  much  by  the  promise 
he  had  extorted  from  his  frientf  Sam. 

The  young  taxidermist  walked  homeward 
with  a  light  heart.  There  was  nothing  now  to 
prevent  him  from  taking  his  mother  into  his 
confidence,  which  he  proceeded  to  do  as  soon 
as  he  had  entered  the  house. 

Mrs.  Preston  listened  attentively  to  his 
stoiy,  and  when  it  was  finished,  she  said,  with 
something  like  a  sigh  : 

"  If  that  committee  should  decide  to  send 
you  away  from  Eaton,  I  should  be  very  lonely, 
for  you  are  all  I  have  now  ;  but  if  you  and 
Mr.  Chamberlain  think  it  is  to  your  interest 
to  accept  this  offer,  I  have  nothing  to  say 

13 


194      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

against  it.  I  shall  not  throw  a  single  obstacle 
in  your  way." 

The  boy  was  overjoyed  to  hear  this.  He 
had  been  afraid  that  his  mother  might  not  be 
quite  so  well  pleased  with  his  prospects  as  he 
was,  and  it  would  have  been  a  sore  disappoint- 
ment if  she  had  raised  any  objections  to  the 
plans  he  had  determined  upon. 

Oscar  did  not  settle  down  into  a  state  of 
chronic  inactivity,  as  many  boys  would  have 
done  who  had  a  clear  hundred  dollars  a  month 
in  prospect. 

Money  was  needed  at  once  to  pay  part  of 
the  principal  and  all  the  interest  that  was  due 
Mr.  Simpson,  and  Oscar  went  manfully  to 
work  to  earn  it  in  the  only  way  that  was  open 
to  him. 

He  spent  four  days  of  that  week  in  the 
woods  with  Bugle,  and  every  night  a  good- 
sized  bunch  of  grouse,  quails,  and  hares  was 
shipped  to  Calkins  &  Son,  who,  on  every 
second  day,  sent  him  a  check  for  his  money. 

The  young  hunter  had  never  known  game 
to  be  so  abundant  as  it  was  that  year,  and  it 
was  no  more  trouble  for  him  to  secure  it  than 


THE   BLACK    FOX.  195 

it  would  have  been  to  sit  in  the  house  and  do 
nothing. 

He  read  and  studied  diligently  every  even- 
ing, and  made  regular  visits  to  the  post-office, 
hoping  to  find  there  the  letter  the  professor 
had  promised  to  write  him  ;  but  it  did  not 
come. 

When  Friday  afternoon  arrived,  Oscar 
walked  down  to  Mr.  Simpson's  office  and  paid 
him  one  hundred  dollars  on  the  mortgage  and 
thirty  dollars  for  interest  at  six  per  cent. 

He  felt  better  after  that,  and  told  himself 
that  the  old  sharper's  chances  for  gaining 
possession  of  his  mother's  house  and  lot 
were  by  no  means  as  good  as  they  had  been. 
As  he  was  about  to  enter  the  gate,  he  found 
the  farmer  who  supplied  his  mother  with  wood 
just  driving  out  of  the  yard. 

"  Howdy,  Oscar  ! "  exclaimed  the  man, 
drawing  up  his  team  with  a  jerk.  "Folks  say 
you  know  all  about  varmints  and  things,  and 
Td  like  to  have  you  tell  me  if  a  black  fox  is 
wuth  more'n  any  other  kind." 

"I  should  say  he  was!"  answered  Oscar. 
"  Have  you  got  one  ?  " 


196      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUXTKII. 

"  Got  him  !  No,  I  aiut,  and  that  there  is 
just  what's  the  matter  of  me  and  my  hens. 
He  won't  leave  one  of  'em,  that  there  feller 
won't,  if  you  and  Bugle  don't  come  up  to  my 
house  and  shoot  him.  We  aint  got  no  dogs 
wuth  their  salt,  and  my  boys  can't  somehow 
do  nothing  with  him.  They've  tuk  after  him 
a  time  or  two  ;  but  laws  !  they  can't  somehow 
get  him  to  stick  his  foot  into  a  trap  nuther, 
'cause  he's  smarter  than  chain-lightnin',  that 
there  fox  is." 

Oscar  became  interested  at  once.  He  was 
always  on  the  lookout  for  such  chances  as 
this,  for  they  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  try 
his  skill  and  Bugle's. 

He  knew  there  were  many  good  hunters  and 
dogs  in  the  farmer's  neighborhood,  and  an 
animal  that  could  outwit  them  all  must  be 
cunning  indeed. 

And  then  he  was  a  black  fox !  Oscar  re- 
membered hearing  the  professor  say  that  he 
would  be  willing  to  give  something  hand- 
some for  one  of  that  species. 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  him,  Mr.  Bacon  ?  "  he 
asked. 


THE   BLACK   FOX.  197 

"  Seen  him  every  morning  fur  a  hull  week," 
was  the  reply,  "  and  shot  at  him  a  time  or  two ; 
but,  laws  !  he's  blacker' n  that  there  nigh  hoss 
of  mine,  that  fox  is,  all  except  the  tip  end  of 
his  tail,  and  that's  whiter' n  snow." 

"  He  must  be  a  beauty  !  "  exclaimed  Oscar. 
"  I  wish  I  had  him." 

"Well,  come  up  there  and  shoot  him,  you 
and  Bugle,  why  don't  you?  Save  the  rest  of 
my  hens  by  knocking  that  there  feller  over, 
and  I'll  give  you  as  good  a  dinner  as  you  ever 
eat  in  a  farmhouse." 

"I'll  try  him  on  Monday,  if  nothing  hap- 
pens to  keep  me  at  home  ;  but  if  he  can  get 
away  from  such  hunters  as  I  know  your  boys 
to  be,  no  doubt  he  will  get  away  from  me,  too. 
Do  you  know  anything  about  his  runways  ? " 

"  What's  them  ?"  asked  Mr.  Bacon. 

"  Why,  a  fox  has  regular  courses  which  he 
always  follows  when  he  is  started  by  a  hound, 
and  they  are  just  as  plain  to  him,  and  to  a 
hunter  who  knows  the  country  and  under- 
stands the  habits  of  the  animal,  as  this  road 
is  to  you.  Those  courses  are  called  runways. 
You  can't  keep  up  with  a  fox  when  he  is  run- 


198      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTEK. 

ning  before  the  dogs,  and  so  you  must  get 
ahead  of  him  and  shoot  him  as  he  passes  along 
one  of  these  runways." 

"Mebbe  there's  sun  thin' in  that  there  idee 
of  your'n,"  said  Mr.  Bacon,  after  reflecting  a 
moment.  "I  have  always  noticed  that  fox, 
when  he  crosses  from  one  side  of  the  holler  to 
the  other,  takes  to  my  medder  and  jumps  the 
brook  about  thirty  yards  below  that  bridge  in 
my  lane.  The  dogs  always  start  him  on  that 
sugar-loaf  hill  east  of  my  house — I  reckin  he's 
got  a  den  up  there — and  when  he  gets  tired  of 
foolin'  around  that  hill,  he  crosses  over  to  the 
west  side  of  the  holler,  jumpin'  the  brook 
where  I  told  you,  and  that's  the  end  of  the 
hunt,  for  them  wnthless  dogs  of  our'n  can't 
never  find  that  fox  agin  that  day. 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  information,"  replied 
Oscar.  "  You  have  given  me  a  start,  and  I 
can  find  out  the  rest  for  myself." 

"All  right.  Don't  you  forget  to  come  up  to 
my  house  and  get  sunthin'  to  eat." 

Mr.  Bacon  cracked  his  whip  and  drove  off, 
and  Oscar  went  into  the  house.  He  put  the 
string  out  of  his  window  before  he  went  to 


THE  BLACK    FOX.  199 

bed,  and  at  an  early  hour  Sam  awoke  him  by 
upsetting  the  chair. 

Everything  was  ready  for  the  start,  and  as 
soon  as  Oscar  had  made  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  a 
hasty  breakfast  had  been  disposed  of,  the  boys 
set  out  for  the  river. 

As  before,  they  took  the  wheelbarrow  with 
them,  and  this  time  it  contained,  in  addition 
to  the  decoys,  sail,  and  oars,  an  iron  drag, 
•with  four  long  curved  teeth,  which  Oscar  had 
ordered  made  at  the  blacksmith's. 

This  drag  was  made  fast  to  a  strong  rope, 
forty  feet  in  length,  and  was  to  be  used  in  re- 
covering the  gun  the  professor  had  lost  in  the 
river  just  a  week  before. 

The  boys  could  not  have  wished  for  better 
luck  than  they  had  that  day.  They  shot 
several  ducks  on  their  way  down  the  river, 
and  when  they  arrived  off  the  head  of  Squaw 
Island,  and  had  made  up  their  minds  where  it 
was  that  the  professor's  boat  had  been  cap- 
sized, Sam,  who  sat  in  the  stern,  threw  the 
drag  overboard,  while  Oscar  pulled  the  skiff 
about  in  circles. 

The  wrater  was  only  about  twenty  feet  deep 


200      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

— the  boys  wished  the  weather  was  warmer,  so 
that  they  could  dive  for  the  lost  fowling-piece 
—and  the  bottom  was  composed  of  smooth, 
flat  rocks,  over  which  the  sharp  teeth  of  the 
drag  passed  almost  as  easily  as  they  would 
have  passed  over  a  floor. 

Of  course  they  would  catch  hold  of  some- 
thing occasionally,  and  stop  the  progress  of  the 
boat,  and  then  Sam  would  overhaul  the  rope 
very  carefully,  only  to  find,  when  the  drag  came 
to  the  surface,  that  there  was  nothing  on  it. 

At  the  third  cast,  however,  his  efforts  were 
rewarded.  The  drag  struck  against  some  ob- 
ject that  offered  but  a  very  feeble  resistance  as 
Sam  tugged  at  the  rope.  He  hauled  in  slowly 
and  cautiously,  and  in  a  few  seconds  brought  to 
light  the  missing  gun,  suspended  by  its  trigger- 
guard  from  one  of  the  teeth  of  the  drag. 

Sam  greeted  it  with  a  series  of  frightful 
yells,  flourishing  it  in  triumph  over  his  head, 
then  rubbed  it  briskly  with  an  oiled  rag,  which 
he  drew  from  his  game-bag,  all  the  while  mak- 
ing running  comments  upon  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  weapon,  and  finally  he  passed 
it  over  to  his  companion. 


THE   BLACK   FOX.  201 

'•Isn't  it  a  beauty?"  cried  Oscar,  holding 
it  off  at  arm's  length  and  giving  it  a  good 
looking  over.  "If  it  shoots  as  well  as  it 
looks,  it  is  certainly  a  valuable  gun.  We 
have  saved  somebody  a  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars." 

"Yes,  and  more,"  remarked  Sam.  "  It  was 
made  by  Joe  Manton,  the  fashionable  gun- 
maker  of  England — you  can  see  his  name  on 
the  barrels — and  never  cost  a  cent  less  than 
three  hundred." 

When  Oscar  had  admired  the  gun  to  his 
heart's  content,  he  picked  up  the  oars  again, 
and  pulled  toward  the  island. 

There  were  still  a  powder-flask  and  shot- 
pouch  somewhere  on  the  bottom  of  the  river 
(the  professor  had  told  Oscar  that  with  the 
gun  he  had  lost  all  the  equipments),  but 
these  articles  could  be  replaced  for  so  little 
money,  and  the  chances  of  picking  them  up 
with  the  drag  were  so  few  and  far  between, 
that  the  boys  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to 
waste  time  in  looking  for  them.  They  had 
recovered  the  gun,  and  the  owner  would 
certainly  be  satisfied  with  that. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

WHO   DESTROYED   THE  SNAKES? 

ARRIVING  at  the  head  of  the  island,  the 
-£A.  decoys  were  set  out,  and  the  boys  took 
their  positions  behind  the  blind,  where  they 
remained  until  three  o'clock  that  afternoon. 

The  shooting  was  all  they  could  desire,  and 
when  they  returned  home  that  night,  Oscar 
had  thirty-one  and  a  half  brace  of  ducks  to 
ship  to  the  city,  after  Sam  had  taken  out  all 
lie  wanted  for  his  own  use.  The  extra  duck 
Oscar  carried  home  for  his  next  day's  dinner, 
and  the  others  were  duly  forwarded  to  Calkins 
&  Son. 

The  first  thing  Oscar  did  after  he  had  eaten 
his  supper  was  to  take  the  recovered  shot-gun 
into  his  shop  and  give  it  a  thorough  overhaul- 
ing. 

The  loads  were  drawn  (Oscar  laughed  when 
he  saw  how  small  they  were — they  would 
scarcely  have  ruffled  the  feathers  of  a  mallard 


WHO   DESTROYED   THE   SNAIJES  2  203 

at  ten  paces),  the  breecli-pins  were  unscrewed, 
the  locks  taken  to  pieces,  and  every  part  was 
oiled  and  rubbed  until  it  shone  like  silver. 

He  worked  upon  it  until  ten  o'clock,  and 
when  he  put  it  together  again  no  one  would 
have  supposed  that  it  had  lain  for  a  whole 
week  at  the  bottom  of  the  river.  It  could  not 
have  been  in  better  order  when  it  first  came 
from  the  hands  of  the  man  who  made  it. 

Oscar  was  up  long  before  daylight  on  Mon- 
day morning,  and,  having  eaten  breakfast,  he 
set  out  with  his  gun  on  his  shoulder  and  Bugle 
at  his  heels,  to  try  his  luck  with  the  black 
fox. 

Now,  Reynard,  be  on  the  alert.  Bring  all 
your  cunning  into  play,  and  make  use  of  every 
artifice  known  to  you,  for  you  have  no  tyros  to 
deal  with  to-dajr. 

Mr.  Bacon's  farm  was  eight  miles  from  the 
village,  by  the  road,  but  by  following  a  short 
cut  across  the  hills  three  miles  of  this  distance 
could  be  saved. 

Of  course,  Oscar  took  the  nearer  way,  for 
his  experience  had  taught  him  that  in  fox- 
hunting, when  one  is  sometimes  obliged  to  run 


204      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUXTER. 

a  mile  or  two  through  a  thick  wood  in  order  to 
reach  a  runway  before  the  game  passes,  every 
step  counts. 

Bugle,  much  to  his  disgust,  was  kept  at  heel 
all  the  way,  for  his  masters  heart  was  set  upon 
securing  a  black  fox,  and  he  had  no  time  to 
waste  with  hares,  grouse,  or  common  red 
foxes. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  rising,  the  young  hunter 
came  to  a  standstill  upon  the  brink  of  a  high 
bluff,  and  saw  below  him  the  "hollow"  in 
which  Mr.  Bacon's  farm  Avas  situated.  He  had 
no  difficulty  in  finding  the  sugar-loaf  hill,  for 
he  knew  right  where  to  look  for  it. 

When  he  reached  it,  the  hound  was  ordered 
to  "hunt  'era  up  !  "  and  he  was  only  too  glad 
to  do  it.  He  disappeared  in  the  bushes,  while 
Oscar  climbed  slowly  up  the  hill  for  a  short 
distance,  and  walked  leisurely  around  it  in  a 
direction  opposite  to  that  taken  by  the  dog. 

Finally,  as  he  did  not  hear  from  Bugle,  he 
stopped  in  a  little  open  space,  where  he  could 
command  a  view  of  an  acre  or  two  of  the  hill- 
side, and  sat  down  to  rest  and  await  develop- 
ments. 


WHO   DESTIIOYED   THE   SNAIIKS?  20.) 

Ten  minutes  passed,  and  then  a  long-drawn 
bay,  which  was  so  faint  and  far  off  that  it  was 
scarcely  audible,  and  which  was  repeated  by 
the  echoes,  until  it  seemed  to  sound  from  the 
hills  on  the  other  side  of  the  hollow,  came  to 
his  ears  ;  whereupon  Oscar  arose  to  his  feet, 
placed  his  back  against  a  tree,  and,  cocking 
both  barrels  of  his  gun,  held  the  weapon  across 
his  breast  in  such  a  position  that  it  could  be 
brought  to  his  shoulder  in  an  instant. 

He  did  not  get  behind  the  tree  and  look 
around  it,  for  he  knew  that  if  he  did  he  would 
surely  be  discovered  by  the  fox,  should  he 
chance  to  come  that  way.  He  stood  out  in 
plain  sight,  and  that  was  the  proper  thing 
to  do. 

The  hill  proved  to  be  a  great  deal  larger  than 
Oscar  thought  it  was,  for  more  than  an  hour 
passed  before  Bugle  came  around  to  him  ;  but 
that  he  had  struck  a  trail,  and  a  warm  one, 
too,  was  evident,  judging  by  the  way  he  gave 
tongue. 

At  last,  his  deep-toned  bays  began  to  ring 
out  louder  and  clearer,  and  then  Oscar 
brought  his  gun  to  his  shoulder,  and  standing 


206      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTEI?. 

as  motionless  as  a  figure  carved  out  of  stone, 
kept  his  eye  moving  about  the  clear  space 
belo\v  him  ;  but  the  fox  did  not  break 
cover. 

He  must  have  passed  that  way,  however,  for 
in  a  few  minutes  more  Bugle  dashed  around 
the  base  of  the  hill,  giving  tongue  at  every 
jump,  and  started  for  another  hour's  run 
around  the  sugar-loaf. 

As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  hearing,  Oscar 
put  down  the  hammers  of  his  gun  and  ran 
across  the  open  space  at  the  top  of  his 
speed. 

"I  was  on  the  right  track,"  thought  he, 
"but  not  quite  far  enough  down  the  hill. 
Now,  I  wish  I  knew  where  that  fellow  turns 
off  when  he  makes  up  his  mind  to  cross  the 
hollow  and  go  over  to  the  hill  on  the  other 
side.  Ah  !  Here  is  where  he  passed.  If  he 
tries  that  trick  again  he  is  my  fox." 

The  exclamations  were  called  forth  by  the 
discovery  of  a  well  beaten  path  which  ran 
diagonally  toward  the  summit  of  the  hill. 

A  short  examination  of  it  showed  the 
hunter  that  it  had  been  made  by  Mr.  Bacon's 


WHO   DESTROYED   THE   SNAKES  ?  207 

sheep  ;  and  his  experience  told  him  that  the 
fox  had  followed  that  path  in  the  hope  of 
throwing  off  the  hound. 

Crossing  newly  ploughed  fields  where  the 
scent  will  not  lie,  walking  on  the  top-rail  of 
fences,  wading  in  shallow  brooks,  and  running 
about  among  a  flock  of  sheep,  or  following  a 
road  along  which  they  have  recently  passed, 
are  stratagems  to  which  a  cunning  old  fox 
will  frequently  resort  to  throw  off  the  dogs 
that  are  pursuing  his  trail ;  but  Bugle  was 
much  too  smart  to  be  deceived  by  any  such 
tricks,  and  he  had  followed  the  fox  up  the 
path  without  the  least  trouble. 

Being  fully  satisfied  that  he  had  found  the 
right  place  at  last,  Oscar  stationed  himself  in 
front  of  a  large  tree  that  stood  a  short  dis- 
tance up  the  path,  and  in  such  a  position  that 
he  could  look  over  the  tops  of  the  bushes  that 
surrounded  it  and  command  a  view  of  the 
trail  for  twenty  yards  on  each  side,  and 
patiently  waited  for  Bugle  to  drive  the  fox 
around  to  him  again. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  he  heard  from  the 
hound — longer  than  before — and  then  he 


208      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTKK. 

heard  but  a  few  faint  bays,  after  which  all 
was  silent  again. 

The  fox  had  left  the  sugar-loaf  and  taken  to 
another  hill  standing  half  a  mile  further  down 
the  hollow.  After  playing  around  there  for 
half  an  hour,  he  came  back  to  the  hill  he  had 
left,  and  started  around  it  in  a  direction 
opposite  to  that  he  had  at  first  followed. 

Oscar's  ears  told  him  all  this  (he  could  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  hound  whenever  he  rounded 
the  base  of  the  hill  nearest  the  hollow),  and 
he  prepared  to  act  accordingly.  He  moved  a 
little  further  around  his  tree,  and,  keeping  his 
gaze  directed  up  the  path,  cocked  both  barrels 
of  his  gun  and  drew  it  to  his  shoulder. 

He  had  not  occupied  this  position  more 
than  five  minutes  before  the  fox  came  in 
sight.  It  was  the  one  he  was  looking  for,  as 
sure  as  the  world,  for  there  was  that  white  tip 
on  the  end  of  his  tail,  and  the  rest  of  him  was 
as  black  as  jet. 

He  was  taking  matters  very  coolly,  trotting 
down  the  path  as  though  he  had  no  particular 
business  on  hand,  and  the  first  thing  that  told 
him  of  the  hunter's  presence  was  the  report  of 


WHO   DESTROYED   THE   SXARES  ?  209 

the  gun  which  sent  a  charge  of  heavy  shot 
into  his  head  and  breast.  He  bounded  high 
into  the  air,  and  when  he  struck  the  ground 
again  he  rolled  rapidly  down  the  hill,  send- 
ing the  twigs  and  withered  leaves  in  every 
direction. 

He  struggled  desperately  to  get  upon  his 
feet  and  continue  his  flight,  but  he  was  too 
linrd  hit. 

Oscar  dashed  down  the  hill  after  him,  and 
when  he  came  up  with  the  fox,  he  found  him 
lying  motionless  on  a  little  pile  of  leaves, 
which  the  winds  had  heaped  against  the  side 
of  a  fallen  log.  He  had  robbed  his  last  hen- 
roost. 

The  boy  picked  him  up  and  looked  at  him. 
It  was  the  iirst  black  fox  he  had  ever  seen ; 
but  he  had  read  and  heard  enough  about  the 
species  to  know  that  they  were  very  rare  and 
valuable,  and  he  was  not  a  little  elated  over 
the  success  that  had  attended  his  hunt. 

After    loading  his    gun,  Oscar    placed    his 
prize  on  the  ground,  where  he  could  have  a 
fair  view  of  him,  and  sat  down  on  the  log  to 
admire  him  and  wait  for  Bugle, 
u 


210       TWO   WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTEK. 

It  was  an  hour  or  more  before  tlie  hound 
appeared,  and  his  long  absence  accounted  for 
the  slow  and  deliberate  movements  of  the  fox. 
The  cunning  animal  had  doubled  on  his  trail, 
and,  by  making  use  of  extra  speed,  had  placed 
such  a  distance  between  himself  and  his 
pursuer  that  haste  was  no  lojiger  necessary. 

If  left  to  himself,  he  would  probably  have 
curled  up  in  some  warm  spot  and  rested  until 
the  hound  came  within  hearing,  when  he 
would  have  jumped  up  and  continued  his 
flight. 

When  Bugle  arrived  on  the  ground,  he  did 
not  attempt  to  bite  the  fox,  as  he  generally 
did.  He  simply  smelt  it,  wagged  his  tail 
vigorously  in  response  to  his  masters  caresses 
and  words  of  praise,  and  then  stood  off  and 
looked  up  at  him,  as  if  awaiting  further 
orders. 

"We'll  have  something  to  eat,  old  fellow, 
before  we  do  any  more  hunting,"  said  Oscar, 
who  always  talked  to  his  favorite  as  if  the 
animal  could  understand  every  word  he  said. 
'•  We  have  earned  a  good  dinner  by  this  morn- 
ing's work,  and  we'll  go  and  get  it.  I  declare, 


WHO   DESTROYED   THE   SXARE3  ?  211 

it  is  ready  now.  I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late. 
Let's  hurry  up  !  " 

Oscar  knew  that  dinner  was  ready,  because 
he  heard  signals  exchanged  between  Mr. 
Bacon's  house  and  the  field.  First,  a  shrill 
female  voice  shouted  : 

"  Hooppee  ! " 

The  call  was  repeated  two  or  three  times, 
and  then  an  answering  "  Yeep  !  "  uttered  in 
deep,  masculine  tones,  arose  from  the  field 
below. 

Oscar,,  followed  by  Bugle,  hurried  down  the 
hill,  clambered  over  the  fence,  and  joined  Mr. 
Bacon  and  his  two  broad-shouldered  sons, 
who  had  been  at  work  repairing  a  stone  wall. 
They  were  on  their  way  to  the  house,  but 
they  stopped  when  they  saw  him  coming,  and 
Mr.  Bacon,  discovering  the  prize  he  carried 
over  his  shoulder,  brought  his  hands  together 
with  a  loud  clap,  and  shouted  out  a  cordial 
welcome. 

"Well,  you  done  it,  didn't  you?"  he 
exclaimed.  "That's  the  feller,  'cause  I'd 
know  him  two  mile  off,  if  I  could  see  him  that 
fur.  I  told  the  boys  I  reckoned  mebbe  that 


212      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A   11UNTEK. 

was  you  a-shootin'  up  there,  an'  I  had  half  a 
notion  to  send  one  on  'em  up  to  see.  Come  on 
now,  and  get  the  dinner  I  promised  you— you 
and  Bugle.  We'll  fill  him  so  full  of  meat 
that  he  won't  do  no  more  huntin'  this  day, 
that  there  hound-dog  won't." 

"Not  meat,  please!"  said  Oscar;  "it 
spoils  a.  dog's  nose.  Bugle  has  little  besides 
corn -bread  and  vegetables  at  home,  and  he  is 
entirely  satisfied  with  his  diet." 

"Well,  I  reckon  mebbe  Johnnycake  '11  do 
him,  won't  it?  Wife  always  has  Johnny- 
cake  on  Monday,  'cause  it's  wash-day,  you 
know." 

When  the  farmer  and  his  sons  had  examined 
Oscar's  prize  to  their  satisfaction,  and  had  told 
some  remarkable  stories  of  the  skill  he  had 
exhibited  in  eluding  his  former  pursuers,  Mr. 
Bacon  led  the  way  toward  the  house. 

His  wife  was  loud  in  her  praises,  and  made 
Oscar  laugh  by  declaring  that  she  "knowed 
that  there  fox  was  gone  up  when  she  heard 
that  him  and  Bugle  was  goin'  to  get  after  him." 

Having  performed  his  ablutions,  Oscar  was 
shown  to  a  seat  at  the  table,  which  fairly 


WHO   DESTROYED   THE   SNARES  ?  213 

groaned  under  the  weight  of  the  good  things 
that  were  piled  upon  it. 

Mrs.  Bacon  was  sorry  she  hadn't  something 
better  to  offer  the  successful  sportsman,  but 
Oscar  could  see  no  necessity  for  any  apologies. 
It  was  not  a  "picked-up"  dinner,  if  it  was 
washing-day.  He  thought  the  farmer  must 
have  an  idea  that  fox-hunters  were  blessed 
with  more  than  ordinary  appetites,  for  the 
plate  that  was  passed  over  to  him  was  filled  so 
full  that  not  another  thing  could  have  been 
placed  upon  it. 

The  meal  was  enlivened  with  conversation  on 
various  topics,  and  when  it  was  finished,  and 
the  farmer  had  smoked  his  after-dinner  pipe, 
Oscar  picked  up  his  fox  and  gun,  thanked 
Mrs.  Bacon  for  the  good  dinner  she  had  given 
him,  and  accompanied  the  three  men  to  the 
field.  There  he  took  leave  of  them  and  struck 
out  across  the  hills  toward  home. 

He  was  in  no  hurry  now,  so  he  walked  along 
very  leisurely,  and  picked  up  quite  a  respect- 
able bag  of  game  on  the  way.  Bugle  drove 
three  hares  around  to  him,  and  twice  as  many 
grouse  fell  to  his  double-barrel. 


214       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

At  length,  when  the  increasing  gloom  of  the 
woods  told  him  that  the  day  was  drawing  to  a 
close,  Oscar  tied  his  game  together  in  a  bunch 
with  a  strong  cord  he  always  carried  in  his 
game-bag  for  that  purpose,  called  Bugle  to 
him,  and  set  out  at  a  brisk  walk. 

As  he  was  working  his  way  through  a  dense 
thicket  on  Mr.  Parker's  hill-farm,  he  came  sud- 
denly upon  two  boys,  who,  just  as  he  appeared 
in  sight,  disappeared,  dropped  a  bundle  of 
something  behind  a  log  and  took  to  their  heels. 
One  of  them  glanced  over  his  shoulder  as  he 
ran,  and  finally  halted  and  faced  about. 

"Don't  be  afraid,  Jeff,"  he  shouted  to  his 
retreating  companion;  "it's  nobody  but 
Oscar  Preston." 

Jeff  stopped  as  soon  as  he  could  check  his 
headlong  flight,  and  when  he  had  satisfied 
himself  as  to  the  identity  of  the  approaching 
hunter,  he  came  slowly  back. 

Oscar  knew  the  two  boys,  but  he  never  had 
had  anything  to  do  with  them.  They  lived 
near  the  river,  and  belonged  to  what  the  order- 
loving  portion  of  the  villagers  called  a  "hard 
crowd." 


WHO   DESTKOYED   THE   SNARES?  21,0 

"What  have  you  been  up  to?"  asked 
Oscar,  as  soon  as  lie  came  within  speaking  dis- 
tance. "Something  mean,  I'll  warrant." 

"No,  we  haven't!"  answered  both  the 
boys  in  concert.  "  We  haven't  been  up  to 
anything." 

It  was  only  necessary  that  Oscar  should  use 
his  eyes  to  detect  the  falsehood.  One  glance 
around  explained  everything.  The  snares 
which  Leon  had  worked  so  hard  to  build  were 
all  ruined.  Oscar  knew  that  they  were  Leon's 
snares,  for  no  one  else  would  be  likely  to  build 
them  on  his  father's  grounds. 

"You  are  a  contemptible  couple  !"  said  he 
indignantly;  "although  I  don't  know  that 
one  can  expect  you  to  be  anything  else. 
What  made  you  do  it  ? " 

"  Well,  what  made  Leon  shoot  my  tame 
pigeons  the  last  time  he  was  down  to  the 
river?"  whined  one  of  the  boys.  "He 
knovved  they  was  mine,  but  lie  plumped  'em 
over  all  the  same.  I  said  I'd  spile  some- 
thing of  his'n  some  day,  to  pay  for  it,  and 
I've  done  it." 

"  That's  a  pretty  way  to  get  even  with  him, 


216       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

isn't  it?"  said  Oscar.  "I've  the  best  notion 
in  the  world  to  take  yon  both  by  the  neck  and 
knock  your  heads  together.  Did  you  find  any 
birds  in  these  snares  ? " 

"  Nary  one  ;  and  no  rabbits  neither." 

"  What  did  you  do  with  the  triggers  and 
strings  ? " 

"  We  heaved  'em  into  the  bushes  as  fur  as 
we  could,  and  it's  too  dark  to  find  'em  again. 
Say,  Oscar,  you  won't  tell  nobody  about  this, 
will  you?  That's  a  good  feller." 

"No  blarney,  now.  I'll  tell  you  this  much," 
was  Oscar's  angry  reply;  "if  I  catch  either 
of  you  in  an  act  of  this  kind  again,  I'll  give 
you  a  shaking  that  will  do  your  hearts  good. 
Now,  remember  it !  " 

So  saying,  he  walked  past  the  young  van- 
dals, who  took  care  to  give  him  all  the  room 
he  wanted,  and  disappeared  in  the  thicket 
which  covered  the  other  side  of  the  hill. 

The  two  boys  did  not  move  or  speak  until 
they  were  certain  that  he  had  really  gone,  and 
then  one  of  them  hurried  to  the  fallen  log, 
snatched  up  the  bundle  that  was  lying  behind 
it,  and  ran  off  in  a  direction  lying  at  right 


WHO   DESTROYED   THE   SNARES?  217 

angles  with  the  one  Oscar  had  taken,  his  com- 
panion following  close  behind  him. 

The  bundle,  which  seemed  to  be  about  as 
heavy  as  the  boy  could  conveniently  manage, 
was  made  tip  of  quail,  grouse,  and  hares, 
rightfully  belonging  to  Leon. 

If  Oscar  had  not  been  in  such  haste  to  reach 
home  and  prepare  his  black  fox  for  mounting, 
if  he  had  taken  a  little  time  to  look  into 
things,  as  he  afterward  wished  he  had  done — 
a  certain  incident  we  have  already  recorded 
never  would  have  happened. 


CHAPTER  XY. 

BUGLE  SEEKS   REVENGE. 

WHEN  the  grouse  and  hares  he  had  shot 
that  day  had  been  prepared  for  market 
and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  express  agent, 
Oscar  ate  his  supper,  started  a  fire  in  his  shop, 
and  set  to  work  to  skin  the  black  fox  and  pre- 
pare it  for  mounting. 

He  intended  that  it  should  be  his  first  con- 
tribution to  the  Yarmouth  museum,  and  he 
was  anxious  to  make  it  the  finest  piece  of 
work  he  had  ever  put  up. 

It  was  long  after  eleven  o'clock  when  he 
went  to  bed,  but  at  daylight  he  was  in  the 
woods  with  Bugle,  and  by  nine  o'clock  three 
grouse,  and  twelve  out  of  a  flock  of  fifteen 
quails  he  flushed  just  before  reaching  Mr. 
Parker's  hill-farm,  had  found  their  way  into 
his  game-bag. 

During  his  excursion  of  the  previous  day, 
Oscar  had  found  that  birds  were  unusually 


218 


BUGLE  SEEKS  REVENGE.        219 

abundant  in  Mr.  Bacon's  neighborhood,  and 
lie  was  slowly  working  his  way  in  thaf  direc- 
tion, when  Bugle  suddenly  jumped  a  hare 
from  a  laurel  thicket  close  in  front  of  him. 

Oscar,  who  was  thinking  busily  about  some- 
thing else,  was  caught  napping  that  time,  and 
before  he  could  bring  his  gun  to  his  shoulder, 
the  game  had  disappeared. 

By  running  in  a  zig-zag  manner  and  making 
long  leaps  from  side  to  side,  he  succeeded  in 
dodging  the  hound  in  the  thick  bushes.  But 
Bugle  very  soon  found  out  what  his  tactics 
were,  and  set  to  work  to  follow  him  up  in  a 
methodical  and  scientific  way. 

Knowing  that  a  hare  always  runs  in  circles 
at  the  beginning  of  his  flight,  Oscar  sprang 
upon  a  fallen  log  that  lay  close  at  hand,  and 
waited  for  Bugle  to  bring  the  game  around  to 
the  point  from  which  he  started. 

He  had  scarcely  settled  himself  to  his 
satisfaction,  when  the  report  of  a  gun  rang 
through  the  woods,  followed  by  a  doleful  yelp 
from  Bugle. 

Oscar  stood  motionless  with  astonishment. 
His  first  thought  was  that  somebody  had  shot 


220      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

at  the  bare  and  hit  the  hound  instead.  But  a 
moment's  reflection  showed  him  that  such  an 
accident  could  not  possibly  happen  under  the 
circumstances. 

The  game  had  a  good  start,  and  the  dog 
could  not  have  overtaken  him  in  so  short  a 
time.  Beyond  a  doubt  the  concealed  hunter, 
whoever  he  was,  had  shot  Bngle  on  purpose. 

With  an  exclamation  of  anger,  Oscar  sprang 
down  from  his  log  and  ran  through  the 
woods  in  the  direction  from  which  the  report 
sounded. 

When  he  had  gone  about  a  hundred  yards, 
he  saw  Bngle  coming  to  meet  him.  The 
animal  seemed  to  be  greatly  excited,  for  he 
bayed  loudly,  and  now  and  then  he  would 
stop  and  shake  his  head  violently,  or  sit  down 
and  scratch  his  ears. 

Discovering  his  master,  he  ran  up  to  him, 
laid  his  chin  in  his  outstretched  hand,  at  the 
same  time  whining  piteously,  and  calling 
attention  to  his  injuries  by  rubbing  his  paw 
over  his  head. 

"I  didn't  suppose  you  had  an  enemy  in  the 
world,  old  fellow,"  said  Oscar,  trembling  all 


BUGLE  SEEKS  REVENGE.        221 

over  with  indignation.  "I  know  who  did  it. 
It  was  those  two  river  boys  who  destroyed 
Leon's  snares.  Now  we'll  have  a  settlement 
with  them,  if  we  can  find  them.  Why, 
Bugle,  you  are  more  scared  than  hurt  after 
all." 

While  he  was  speaking,  Oscar  made  a  hur- 
ried examination  of  his  favorite's  wounds,  and 
to  his  great  delight  discovered  that  but  two 
shot  had  struck  him,  and  they  had  passed 
through  one  of  his  huge  ears  without  touching 
his  body  at  all. 

Leon  had  not  done  as  good  shooting  that 
morning  as  he  usually  did.  No  doubt  he  was 
in  a  great  hurry  to  have  it  over  with,  and 
became  nervous  when  he  thought  of  the  con- 
sequences that  might  follow  his  rash  act,  or 
else  the  hound  moved  a  little  out  of  range  just 
an  instant  before  he  pulled  the  trigger. 

At  any  rate  the  shot  was  not  as  effective  as 
Leon  meant  it  should  be  ;  but  the  wounded 
member  bled  profusely,  and  his  master's 
indignation  increased  while  he  looked  at  it. 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  the  hound  was 
not  seriously  injured,  Oscar  shouldered  his 


222       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

gun  again  and  set  out  at  the  top  of  his  speed 
to  overtake  the  bushwhackers. 

A  few  minutes'  run  brought  him  to  the 
thicket  in  which  Leon's  snares  were  placed, 
and  there  he  stopped,  dropped  the  butt  of  his 
gun  to  the  ground,  and  finally  walked  over 
and  seated  himself  on  the  very  log  on  which 
Leon  and  his  cousin  had  been  sitting  a  short 
time  before. 

He  had  different  opinions  now  regarding  the 
identity  of  the  bushwhackers.  It  was  plain 
enough  to  him  that  the  river  boys  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  shooting.  Here  were  Leon's 
snares — which  had  been  completely  destroyed 
the  day  before — all  in  order,  and  ready  to 
catch  the  first  thing  that  came  within  their 
reach. 

He  knew  very  well  that  the  boys  he  had  seen 
there  on  the  previous  day  had  not  come  back 
and  repaired  the  mischief  they  had  done  ;  they 
would  be  the  last  ones  to  think  of  such  a  thing. 
It  followed,  then,  that  Leon  must  have  repaired 
the  snares  himself,  that  very  morning ;  and, 
beyond  a  doubt,  it  was  he  who  shot  the 
hound. 


BUGLE  SEEKS  REVENGE.        223 

Oscar's  indignation  gave  way  to  a  feeling  of 
sadness. 

"  We'll  not  look  any  farther,  Bugle,"  said 
he. 

And  the  hound,  which  had  stretched  itself 
out  at  his  feet,  and  seemed  to  have  forgotten 
all  about  the  trifling  injuries  he  had  received, 
rapped  the  leaves  with  his  tail  when  his  master 
spoke. 

"I  don' t  want  to  see  that  boy,  for  I  might  say 
or  do  something  spiteful.  I  can't  understand 
it  at  all,  for  I  am  sure  I  never  did  anything  to 
Leon  that  should  cause  him  to  take  such  a  re- 
venge on  me.  It  can't  be  that  he  has  anything 
against  you,  Bugle,  for  you  never  troubled  him 
or  anybody  else,  did  you  ?  I  can't  understand, 
either,  how  Leon  happens  to  be  in  the  woods 
to-day,  for  I  know  his  father  never  lets  him 
stay  away  from  school  to  go  hunting.  Let's 
go  down  to  the  brook  and  take  a  bath,  Bugle." 

Leon  and  his  cousin  had  not  eluded  pursuit 
so  effectually  as  they  thought  they  had,  for 
Oscar  could  have  overtaken  and  confronted 
them  in  less  than  thirty  minutes  after  the 
shooting  was  done,  had  he  felt  so  inclined. 


224       TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A    IIUNTEH. 

He  heard  the  reports  of  the  shot-gun  nnd 
rifle  which  brought  down  the  squirrels  that 
supplied  the  runaways  with  a  portion  of  their 
dinner,  and  that  was  the  way  he  found  out 
that  Leon  was  not  alone. 

Oscar  knew  that  the  other  boy  could  be  none 
other  than  Frank  Fuller,  but  he  never  thought 
of  him  in  connection  with  the  shooting,  for  he 
did  not  believe  that  Frank  had  courage  enough 
to  perform  an  act  of  that  kind.  He  knew,  fur- 
ther, that  he  had  only  to  follow  up  the  stream, 
on  the  banks  of  which  he  spent  half  an  hour  in 
washing  the  blood  from  the  hound's  head,  to 
find  the  two  boys,  for  he  saw  the  smoke  of 
their  camp-fire  rising  above  the  tops  of  the 
trees. 

But  for  the  sake  of  the  father  who  had  been 
so  kind  to  him,  Oscar  was  perfectly  willing  to 
overlook  this  unkindly  act  on  the  part  of  the 
son.  He  saw  that  Bngle  had  forgotten  .all 
about  it,  and  he  would  try  to  forget  it,  too. 

After  the  hound's  head  had  been  bathed  a 
few  times,  the  animal  seemed  to  be  himself 
again ;  and  when  his  master  led  him  back  to 
the  place  where  he  had  been  shot  he  took  up 


BUGLE  SEEKS  KEVENGE.        225 

the  trail  of  his  own  accord,  and  followed  it  with 
all  his  usual  energy  and  zeal. 

Oscar  went  back  to  his  log,  and  had  scarcely 
taken  up  his  position  upon  it  when  the  fright- 
ened hare  broke  cover  and  was  neatly  stopped. 

Oscar  continued  to  hunt  through  the  woods 
in  the  direction  of  the  hollow  in  which  Mr. 
Bacon  lived,  but  at  one  o'clock  he  turned  and 
retraced  his  steps,  with  both  nets  of  his  game- 
bag  completely  filled,  and  as  large  a  bunch  of 
birds  and  hares  as  he  wanted  to  carry  slung 
over  his  shoulder. 

The  game  was  left  at  the  depot  in  time  to  be 
placed  upon  the  evening's  train  for  Yarmouth, 
and  on  his  way  home  Oscar  stopped  at  the 
post-office,  where  he  found  two  letters  waiting 
for  him. 

One  was  from  Calkins  &  Son,  enclosing  a 
check  to  pay  for-  the  grouse  and  hares  he  had 
sent  them  the  night  before,  and  the  other,  to 
his  joy,  proved  to  be  from  one  of  the  commit- 
tee who  had  charge  of  the  money  which  was 
to  be  expended  in  founding  the  university 
museum. 

The  letter  was  short  and  to  the  point,  and 

15 


226       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    IH'NTKK. 

there  were  no  Latin  or  Greek  words  in  it  to 
bother  him.  It  contained  an  invitation  for 
him  to  visit  the  city  at  as  early  a  day  as  possi- 
ble, bringing  with  him  some  specimens  of  his 
skill  as  a  taxidermist.  If  he  would  drop  the 
writer  a  line  by  return  mail,  telling  him  on 
what  day  and  at  what  hour  he  might  be  ex- 
pected to  arrive  in  Yarmouth,  some  member 
of  the  committee  would  meet  him  at  the 
depot  with  a  carriage. 
Then  came  the  following  postscript: 

Professor  Kendall  desires  me  to  ask  if  you  think  there 
is  any  way  in  which  he  can  recover  his  gun,  which  was 
lost  when  the  president's  boat  was  capsized  ?  It  is  an 
imported  weapon,  costing  over  three  hundred  dollars, 
and  as  it  was  a  present  from  a  very  dear  friend  lie  can- 
not bear  the  thought  of  giving  it  up.  His  college  duties 
have  prevented  him  from  visiting  Eaton  in  regard  to  the 
matter. 

"I  wonder  what  Sam  Hynes  will  have  to 
say  now?"  thought  Oscar,  as  he  put  the 
letter  into  his  pocket.  "If  he  doesn't  come 
around  to-night,  I  must  go  over  to  see  him. 
He  is  as  much  interested  in  my  success  as  I 
am,  and  I  must  keep  him  posted.  Xo\v,  what 
ought  I  to  take  with  me  besides  that  black 


BUGLE  SEEKS  REVENGE.         227 

fox,  and  when  shall  I  tell  them  to  look  for 
me?" 

Oscar  kept  his  mind  on  these  matters  all 
the  way  home.  He  could  have  started  for  the 
city  the  very  next  day,  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  fact  that  the  committee  wished  to  see  some 
of  his  specimens. 

Those  he  decided  to  take  with  him  must  all 
be  mounted  over  again,  and  that  was  very 
particular  work  and  could  not  be  hurried. 
The  birds  must  all  be  perched  in  trees,  and 
the  standards  that  supported  the  trees,  as  well 
as  the  board  on  which  the  black  fox  was 
placed,  must  be  painted  and  covered  with 
moss  and  leaves  preserved  in  paraffine,  to 
make  them  resemble  the  ground  in  the 
forest. 

After  that,  neat  boxes  must  be  made  in 
which  to  pack  the  specimens  for  transporta- 
tion ;  and  when  Oscar  had  thought  it  all  over, 
he  decided  that  the  work  could  not  be  done  in 
less  than  a  week. 

He  told  his  correspondent  so  in  the  letter  he 
wrote  to  him  as  soon  as  he  reached  home,  and 
set  the  following  Wednesday  for  the  start. 


228       TWO    WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A   IIUXTER. 

He  added  a  piece  of  information  that  must 
have  delighted  Professor  Kendall. 

He  said  that  the  gun  had  been  recovered 
•with  but  very  little  effort ;  that  it  was  safe  in 
his  (Oscar's)  hands,  and  that,  in  order  to  save 
express  charges,  he  would  take  it  with  him 
when  he  went  to  Yarmouth,  if  its  owner 
would  consent  to  wait  so  long  for  it. 

When  the  letter  had  been  dropped  into  the 
office,  Oscar  went  home  again  and  resumed  his 
work  upon  the  black  fox.  While  the  speci- 
men was  growing  into  shape  under  his  skilful 
hands,  he  was  suddenly  startled  by  a  loud 
scream  of  terror,  which  sounded  from  the 
street,  and  was  immediately  followed  by  angry 
bays  and  growls  from  Bugle. 

Oscar,  wondering  what  could  be  the  matter, 
ran  out  into  the  yard  with  all  haste,  and  was 
greatly  amazed  to  see  Sam  Hynes  standing  in 
front  of  the  gate  holding  fast  with  both  hands 
to  the  loose,  thick  skin  on  the  back  of  the 
hound's  neck. 

The  animal  had  reared  himself  upon  his  hind 
legs,  and  was  struggling  desperately  to  reach 
Leon  Parker  and  his  cousin,  Frank  Fuller,  who 


BUGLE  SEEKS  REVEXGE.         229 

stood  a  little  further  down  the  sidewalk,  trem- 
bling with  fear  and  begging  Sam  not  to  let  go 
his  hold  upon  the  enraged  brute. 

They  knew  that  the  hound  recognized 
them,  and  was  determined  to  take  revenge 
on  them  for  what  they  had  done  that 
morning. 

Had  they  taken  to  their  heels,  the  animal 
would  have  become  more  determined  than  ever. 
Their  safest  course  was  to  stand  still  and  trust 
to  Sam's  grip. 

Oscar  had  never  before  seen  his  favorite  in 
such  a  fury.  Strong  as  Sam  was,  it  was  all  he 
could  do  to  hold  him. 

In  half  a  dozen  jumps  Oscar  reached  the 
gate,  and  seizing  Bugle  around  the  body  under 
his  forelegs,  he  dragged  him  into  the  yard  with 
Sam's  assistance  and  closed  the  gate  upon 
him. 

Leon  and  his  cousin  felt  perfectly  safe  now. 
They  came  slowly  up  the  sidewalk,  their  pale 
faces  showing  that  they  had  sustained  some- 
thing of  a  fright. 

"What  makes  your  dog  act  so?"  asked 
Leon,  in  a  trembling  voice,  at  the  same  time 


230       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

moving  toward  the  outside  of  the  walk,  as  he 
saw  Bugle's  white  teeth  gleaming  between  the 
pickets.  "  Is  he  mad  ?  " 

"  Mad  !  "  repeated  Oscar,  who  stood  on  the 
inside  of  the  fence  to  keep  the  hound  from 
jumping  over  it.  "I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he 
was.  Wouldn't  you  be  mad  if  somebody 
should  send  a  charge  of  bird-shot  at  your 
head?" 

The  two  boys  opened  their  eyes  and  tried  to 
look  surprised  ;  but  they  only  succeeded  in 
looking  guilty. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  somebody  shot 
him,  do  you  ? "  exclaimed  Leon. 

"  Yes,  I  do  ;  and  you  were  not  far  away  at 
the  time,  either." 

"It's  false,  every  word  of  it !  "  cried  Frank, 
with  well-feigned  indignation.  "  We  haven't 
seen  him  before,  to-day." 

"Look  here,  Towny,"  said  Sam,  "  you  can't 
take  that  back  any  too  quick." 

As  he  said  this,  he  placed  his  hand  on  the 
latch  and  opened  the  gate,  which  Oscar 
promptly  closed  again,  holding  fast  to  it 
with  one  hand,  while  he  restrained  Bugle  with 


BUGLE    SEEKS    IlEVEXGE.  231 

the  other.  He  had  two  obstinate  and  de- 
termined ones  to  manage  no\v. 

"I  mean  he  is  mistaken,  for  we  didn't  do 
it,"  said  Frank,  who  saw  that  it  would  be  no 
trouble  at  all  to  get  into  business  then  and 
there. 

"That  sounds  better,"  replied  Sam.  "Now 
.you  keep  still.  Nobody  was  saying  a  word 
to  you  when  you  chipped  in." 

Frank  said  no  more,  and  neither  did  Leon. 
They  stood  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then  with 
a  common  impulse  walked  toward  hone. 

Oscar  was  glad  to  see  them  go,  and  so  was 
Bugle,  who  speedity  became  his  own  friendly 
self  again  ;  but  Sam  stood  with  his  hands  on 
the  gate,  watching  them,  and  wishing  that  he 
had  not  allowed  Oscar  to  keep  him  in  the  yard 
so  easily. 

"Come  into  the  shop,"  said  Oscar.  "I've 
got  something  there  that  will  put  you  in  good 
humor  again.  Now,  as  we  walk  along,  tell  me 
how  this  trouble  was  brought  about." 

"Bugle  started  it,"  said  Sam.  "When  I 
opened  the  gate,  he  came  out  to  meet  me.  I 
saw  there  was  something  the  matter  with  his 


232      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

ear,  and  while  I  was  examining  it,  lie  hap- 
pened to  look  down  the  street  and  saw  Leon 
and  Frank  coming.  In  an  instant  he  was  the 
maddest  dog  I  ever  saw.  He  stuck  up  the 
hair  on  his  neck,  gave  a  growl,  and  charged 
through  the  gate.  Of  course  I  didn't  know 
what  the  matter  was,  for  I  had  never  seen  him 
act  so  before  ;  but  knowing  that  he  intended 
to  use  the  teeth  he  showed  so  plainly,  I  made 
a  grab  at  him  as  he  went  through  the  gate, 
and,  by  the  merest  chance,  caught  one  of  his 
hind  legs.  Did  you  hear  Frank  scream?  I 
had  no  idea  that  a  hound  was  so  heavy  and 
strong,"  added  Sam,  looking  at  .his  hands. 
"You  came  just  in  time,  for  he  would  have 
slipped  away  from  me  in  a  minute.  Hey  !  " 

Sam,  who  was  on  the  point  of  seating  him- 
self on  the  work-bench,  had  just  caught  sight 
of  the  black  fox.  Having  never  seen  an  ani- 
mal like  it  before,  he  examined  it  with  the 
greatest  interest. 

Oscar  had  a  good  budget  of  news  for  his 
friend,  for  the  two  last  dajrs  were  big  with 
events. 

Taking  them  in  order,  he  described  all  the 


BUGLE  SEEKS  REVENGE.         233 

incidents  connected  with  his  hunt  after  the 
prize  he  was  then  engaged  in  mounting,  and 
gave  the  particulars  of  his  encounter  with  the 
two  boys  who  destroyed  Leon's  snares. 

He  told  all  about  the  shooting  of  the  hound, 
gave  a  list  of  the  game  he  had  sent  away  dur- 
ing the  afternoon,  and  finally  handed  out  the 
letter  he  had  received  from  the  committee. 

To  say  that  Sam  was  delighted  with  the 
letter,  would  but  feebly  express  his  feelings. 
He  could  not  say  enough  in  praise  of  Oscar's 
good  fortune,  although  he  talked  about  it  until 
almost  dark. 

When  he  saw  his  friend  making  prepara- 
tions to  light  the  lamp  over  his  work-bench, 
Sam  said  good-night  and  started  for  home. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

GOOD   AND   BAD   NEWS. 

OSCAR  now  gave  up  hunting  entirely  (be 
did  not  neglect  to  drop  aline  to  the  com- 
mission merchants,  telling  them  why  he  was 
obliged  to  do  so,  and  they,  in  reply,  sent  him 
a  cordial  invitation  to  visit  them  when  he 
came  to  Yarmouth),  and  devoted  himself  to 
the  preparation  of  his  specimens.- 

He  worked  hard  all  day  and  studied  late 
every  night,  and  the  nine  o'clock  train  which 
passed  through  Eaton  on  Wednesday  morning, 
carried  him  away  with  the  rest  of  its  passen- 
gers ;  his  specimens,  which  were  carefully  and 
neatly  boxed,  being  stowed  away  in  the  ex- 
press car. 

In  his  hands  Oscar  carried  the  gun  which 
he  and  Sam  had  fished  up  from  the  bottom  of 
the  river,  and  by  it  he  was  recognized  when  he 
reached  Yarmouth  depot. 

There  were  two  gentlemen  there,  waiting  for 


234 


GOOD   AND   BAD    NEWS.  235 

him,  and  one  of  them  was  the  owner  of  the 
recovered  fowling-piece. 

The  instant  he  saw  it  he  knew  that  Oscar 
was  the  boy  he  and  his  companion  were  look- 
ing for. 

Oscar  was  gone  just  a  week,  and  what  he 
saw  and  did  during  his  absence,  and  what  bar- 
gain he  made  with  the  committee,  we  shall 
learn  as  soon  as  he  meets  his  friend  Sam,  who, 
of  course,  must  know  all  about  it. 

We  will  tell  the  reader  this  much,  however, 
for  it  would  not  sound  well  coming  from 
Oscar's  lips,  even  if  he  knew  all  about  it, 
which  he  did  not. 

The  young  taxidermist  was  almost  over- 
whelmed by  his  reception.  He  was  intro- 
duced to  the  faculty,  to  the  students,  and  to 
many  prominent  citizens  as  the  brave  youth 
who  had  saved  President  Potter's  life. 

That  eccentric  gentleman  had  never  thought 
it  worth  while  to  mention  the  name  of  Sam 
Ilynes  in  connection  with  his  rescue,  but  the 
reader  may  rest  assured  that  Oscar  did  not 
neglect  to  do  it. 

Whenever  the  subject  was  spoken  of  in  his 


236      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTKR. 

hearing,  tlie  active  and  important  part  taken 
by  the  cool-headed  Sam  was  faithfully  and 
graphically  described. 

This  one  act  on  Oscar's  part — the  saving  of 
the  president's  life — was  enough  to  make  him 
a  hero  in  the  eyes  of  all  the  strangers  who 
surrounded  him ;  but  what  added  to  the 
interest  with  which  they  regarded  him  was 
the  fact  that  he  had  been  selected  to  complete 
the  university's  collection  of  birds  and 
animals. 

The  faculty  and  students,  as  well  as  some  of 
the  citizens,  knew  that  Professor  Potter  had 
at  last  found  somebody  to  do  the  work,  and 
when  it  was  announced  that  that  somebody 
would  soon  visit  Yarmouth  to  exhibit  speci- 
mens of  his  skill,  his  arrival  was  awaited  with 
no  little  impatience. 

The  professor  had  not  been  at  all  particular 
about  describing  the  person  he  had  engaged, 
and  the  students  expected  to  find  themselves 
confronted  by  a  bearded,  fine-looking  man  in 
buckskin,  or  else  in  high-top  boots,  red  shirt, 
and  slouch  hat,  standing  at  least  six  feet  high, 
with  broad  shoulders,  and  so  powerful  a  grip 


GOOD   AND   BAD   NEWS.  237 

that  nobody  would  dare  shake  hands  with 
him. 

These  being  their  ideas,  how  great  must 
have  been  their  astonishment  when  there 
appeared  among  them,  one  morning,  a  neatly 
dressed,  modest  youth,  who  seemed  to  shrink 
away  from  them,  and  who  blushed  every  time 
anyone  spoke  to  him  ! 

They  could  scarcely  believe  their  eyes  ;  but 
the  committee  took  him,  and  Oscar's  position 
was  established  at  once. 

On  the  second  day  after  his  arrival,  he  was 
invited  to  dine  at  the  house  of  a  prominent 
citizen,  and  there  he  met  a  brilliant  company, 
including  the  gentleman  who  had  given  the 
money  to  found  the  museum. 

The  men  treated  him  with  a  respect  that 
astonished  him,  and  the  ladies  crowded 
around  him  and  asked  questions,  until  Oscar 
wished  most  heartily  that  he  could  crawl 
into  a  hollow  log  somewhere  and  get  out  of 
sight. 

Through  all  this  trying  ordeal,  the  young 
taxidermist  conducted  himself  with  the  ut- 
most propriety  ;  but  when  the  week  was  ended 


238      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

and  lie  found  himself  on  board  the  train 
bound  for  Eaton,  he  drew  a  long  breath  of 
relief,  and  said  to  himself  : 

"  Thank  goodness,  it  is  all  over  !  " 

Sam  Hynes.was  at  the  depot  when  Oscar 
reached  the  village  on  Wednesday  night, 
and  eager  as  he  was  to  hear  what  his  friend 
had  to  tell  him,  he  was  still  more  eager  to 
communicate  to  him  a  piece  of  news  that  was 
just  then  the  talk  of  the  town. 

Oscar  lingered  for  a  few  minutes  on  the 
platform  to  exchange  greetings  with  two  or 
three  friends  who  chanced  to  be  there,  but 
lie  drew  away  from  them  as  soon  as  he 
could,  and  started  for  home,  accompanied  by 
Sam.  He  was  very  anxious  to  see  his 
mother. 

"Well,"  said  Oscar,  as  they  locked  arms 
and  walked  briskly  toward  the  village,  "I 
don't  see  that  Eaton  has  changed  any  during 
my  absence." 

"  Oh,  you  don't !  "  exclaimed  Sam.  "  One 
would  think  you  had  been  somewhere,  to  hear 
you  talk." 

"  I  have  been  somewhere,  and  in  less  than  a 


GOOD    AND    BAD    NEW*:?.  239 

week  I  am  going  somewhere  else.  Have  you 
any  news  for  me?  " 

"I  have,  and  I  know  you  will  be  sorry  to 
hear  it — not  on  account  of  the  young  rascals 
themselves,  but  on  Mr.  Parker's  account. 
Leon  and  his  cousin,  Frank  Fuller,  have  run 
away  from  home." 

Oscar  withdrew  his  arm,  and  stopped  and 
looked  at  his  friend,  who  backed  off  and  put 
his  hands  in  his  pockets. 

The  two  gnzed  into  each  other's  faces  for  a 
few  seconds,  and  then  locked  arms  and  walked 
on  again. 

"  I  hope  there  is  some  mistake  about  it," 
said  Oscar,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak. 

"  I  wish  there  was,  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart !  "  replied  Sam  earnestly. 

Oscar  was  silent  for  several  minutes.  He 
recalled  all  the  favors  for  which  he  was  in- 
debted to  the  kind-hearted  lawyer,  thought  of 
the  numerous  indulgences  which  he  knew  Mr. 
Parker  had  granted  his  scapegrace  son,  and 
then  broke  out  fiercely  : 

"Leon  deserves  to  be  thrashed  within  an 
inch  of  his  life  !  He  is  a  mean  boy  who 


240      T\VO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

will  run  away  from  such  a  father  as  lie 
has." 

"Just  what  I  have  remarked  a  score  of 
times,"  answered  Sam.  "But  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain says  that  the  punishment  he  will  receive 
before  he  gets  through  with  this  business  will 
be  worse  than  thrashing.  They  packed  up  and 
cleared  out  on  the  very  night  that  you  went  to 
Yarmouth." 

"Go  on  and  tell  me  all  about  it,"  said 
Oscar. 

"I  don't  know  much  to  tell,"  answered 
Sam,  "for,  of  course,  Mr.  Parker  and  his 
family  have  had  very  little  to  say  about  the 
matter.  The  amount  of  it  is  that  Leon  has 
been  in  trouble  ever  since  his  cousin  came 
here.  Frank  led  him  into  all  sorts  of  scrapes, 
and  finally  induced  him  to  run  away  from 
school — a  thing  Leon  had  never  done  before 
in  his  life.  On  the  same  day  Mr.  Fuller 
arrived  from  Boston  to  see  how  Frank  was 
getting  on  with  his  studies,  and  the  first 
thing  he  learned  in  regard  to  him  was  that  he 
had  been  playing  truant.  The  general  im- 
pression seems  to  be  that  the  young  men  were 


GOOD    AND   BAD   NEWS.  241 

disciplined,  and  that  they  got  angry  about 
it." 

"Where  have  they  gone,  and  what  do  they 
intend  to  do?" 

"  Nobody  seems  to  know.  They  took  a 
good  supply  of  clothing  with  them  and  also 
their  guns." 

"Ah!  No  doubt  they  intend  to  sell  their 
guns  in  order  to  obtain  money  to  pay  their 
way,"  observed  Oscar. 

"There's  no  need  of  that,"  answered  Sam. 
"I  don't  know  whether  or  not  Frank  had 
any  money,  but  Leon  had  a  pocketful  of  it. 
His  grandfather,  of  late  years,  has  made  it  a 
point  to  give  Leon  a  hundred  dollars  every 
Christmas.  Unfortunately,  the  money  was 
deposited  in  the  bank  to  Leon's  credit,  and  all 
he  had  to  do  was  to  present  his  book  and  draw 
the  funds." 

"My  gracious!"  exclaimed  Oscar,  "what 
a  scamp  that  boy  must  be  ! " 

"He  wouldn't  be  so  bad  if  it  wasn't  for 
Frank.  He  is  the  one  who  has  led  Leon  into 
all  this  trouble.  Now,  let  me  ask  you  a  few 
questions.  What  luck  have  you  had  ?  Your 

16 


242     TWO  WAYS  OF  BECOMING  A  HUNTER. 

last  letter  made  me  believe  that  you  bad  some 
good  news  for  me/' 

"And  so  I  have,"  replied  Oscar.  "I  have 
had  the  best  of  luck,  and,  if  nothing  unfore- 
seen happens,  I  shall  be  on  my  way  to  the 
plains  by  a  week  from  to-night." 

"You  don't  tell  me  so  !  "  cried  Sam,  whose 
astonishment  and  delight  were  almost  un- 
bounded. "  How  was  it  all  brought  about  ? " 

"I  can  hardly  tell  you,  for  the  truth  is  I 
have  lived  in  such  a  state  of  excitement  and 
bewilderment  ever  since  I  have  been  a\vay 
that  I  hardly  knew  whether  I  stood  on  my 
head  or  my  heels.  In  the  first  place,  I  was 
completely  upset  by  the  attentions  that  were 
shown  me  when  I  arrived  in  Yarmouth.  The 
officers  of  the  college  and  this  museum  com- 
mittee took  me  in  charge  at  once.  They 
wouldn't  let  me  go  to  a  hotel,  as  I  wanted  to 
do,  but  President  Potter — he  is  not  a  crazy 
man,  Sam — took  me  to  his  home  and  kept  me 
there.  The  next  day  I  was  shown  over  the 
university,  and  all  the  students  looked  at  me 
as  if  I  had  been  some  rare  specimen  of  taxi- 
dermy. I  went  into  their  museum,  and  I  tell 


GOOD   AND   BAD   NEWS.  243 

you  what's  a  fact,  Sam — my  specimens  beat 
theirs  all  to  pieces." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Sam. 

"My  specimens  are  there  now,"  continued 
Oscar,  "and  anybody  can  see  for  himself 
which  is  the  best  work.  It  would  have  made 
you  laugh  to  see  those  students  crowd  around 
me  and  ask  me  questions  in  natural  histor}-, 
just  as  though  I  knew  all  about  it.  The  com- 
mittee wanted  me  to  put  up  some  new  speci- 
mens for  them,  so  I  went  down  to  the  store  of 
Calkins  &  Son,  and  picked  out  four  nice  ones 
— a  hare,  grouse,  mallard,  and  black  squirrel. 
1  told  them  who  I  was,  and  what  I  wanted  the 
birds  and  animals  for,  and  they  wouldn't  take 
a  cent  for  them.  When  I  found  that  I  was 
expected  to  put  up  these  specimens  in  the 
presence  of  a  class  as  well  as  the  committee, 
and  explain  every  operation,  my  hand  trembled 
so  that  I  could  hardly  hold  the  knife,  and  I 
couldn't  say  a  word." 

"You  were  embarrassed,"  said  Sam.  "You 
had  never  received  so  much  attention  before." 

"And  I  hope  I  never  will  again,"  said 
Oscar  honestly. 


244      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

"All!"  exclaimed  Sam,  with  a  knowing 
shake  of  his  head,  "  wait  until  you  come  back 
from  the  plains.  If  you  are  successful,  they 
will  make  a  lion  of  you.  What  sort  of  work 
did  you  do  before  the  class  ?  " 

"Oh,  after  I  got  fairly  started,  and  gained 
a  little  confidence,  I  was  all  right.  My 
tongue  ran  glibly  enough,  and  I  never  did 
quicker  or  better  work  in  my  life.  When  I 
got  through,  I  had  four  as  fine  specimens  as 
you  ever  saw." 

"Good!"  exclaimed  Sam.  "Well,  what 
was  the  next  thing  I  " 

"The  next  thing  was  the  best  part  of  the 
whole  business,"  answered  Oscar.  "  It  was  a 
private  conference  with  the  committee,  during 
which  I  was  engaged  for  one  year,  with  the 
understanding  that  if  they  were  satisfied  with 
my  work,  I  was  to  keep  right  on  until  I  had 
furnished  the  museum  with  specimens  from 
every  country  on  tlie  globe.  Just  think  of 
that!" 

"  Whew!  "  whistled  Sam. 

"  In  the  first  place,  as  I  told  you,  I  am  to  go 
out  West.  My  instructions  are  to  confine  my- 


GOOD   AND   BAD   NEWS.  245 

self  entirely  to  large  game,  although  I  am  at 
liberty  to  secure  any  rare  bird  or  animal  that 
may  chance  to  come  in  my  way.  But  I 
mustn't  waste  my  time  in  hunting  for  them. 
What  they  want  most  is  a  specimen  of  the 
Felts  concolor,  and  also " 

"  Hallo  ! "  exclaimed  Sam. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you?"  asked 
Oscar. 

"  Nothing,"  replied  his  companion.  "  I  for- 
got that  you  had  been  through  college.  Big 
words  come  easy  to  you  since  your  association 
with  those  learned  men,  don't  they?  Well, 
good-night !  " 

The  boys  had  by  this  time  reached  Ospar's 
gate.  Bugle,  hearing  the  sound  of  his  master's 
voice,  came  over  the  fence  without  touching 
it,  and  was  so  demonstrative  in  his  greeting 
that  Oscar  was  obliged  to  seize  him  by  the  neck 
and  hold  him  off. 

Oscar  wanted  Sam  to  go  in,  but  the  latter 
declined.  He  knew  that  his  friend  would 
want  to  talk  to  his  mother  about  his  good  for- 
tune, and  he  wisely  concluded  that  the  pres- 
ence of  a  third  party  might  not  be  agreeable. 


246     TWO  WAYS  OF  BECOMING  A  HUNTER. 

He  would  see  Oscar  the  next  day,  after  school, 
he  said,  and  listen  to  the  rest  of  the  narra- 
tive. 

So  Sam  went  home,  and  Oscar  went  into  the 
house.  He  told  his  mother  the  same  story  lie 
had  told  his  companion,  adding  an  item  of  in- 
formation that  astonished  her  not  a  little. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

PAYING  THE   FIDDLER. 

LET  us  now  return  to  Leon  and  Frank, 
whom  we  left,  at  the  close  of  the  second 
chapter,  hastening  over  the  hills  toward  home, 
after  spending  the  day  in  the  woods. 

They  had  by  no  means  enjoyed  themselves 
as  well  as  they  expected  they  should,  and  now, 
when  it  was  too  late,  they  would  ha^e  given 
almost  anything  if  they  could  have  lived  the 
day  over  again. 

They  would  have  gone  to  school.  Like  all 
guilty  persons,  they  were  afraid,  and  Leon  did 
not  attempt  to  conceal  the  fact,  although 
Frank  did. 

They  ran  almost  all  the  way  to  the  village, 
and  climbing  the  fence  at  the  back  of  Mr. 
Parker's  lot,  they  hurried  across  the  field, 
taking  care  to  keep  the  barn  between  them- 
selves and  the  house. 

The  merry  shouts  that  came  to  their  ears 

247 


TWO  WAYS  or  BECOMING  A  HUXTKK. 

told  them  that  they  had  not  a  moment  to 
lose — that  school  had  just  been  dismissed. 

They  entered  the  barn  thro'.igh  the  back 
door,  and  after  hiding  their  guns  and  equip- 
ments in  the  hay- mow,  ran  out  again.  They 
crept  along  on  their  hands  and  knees  under 
cover  of  the  currant  bushes,  crossed  two  or 
three  lots,  and  finally  reached  the  street  in 
which  the  school-house  was  located.  Then 
they  breathed  easier. 

They  slackened  their  pace  and  walked  along 
like  honest  school-boys,  believing  that  all 
danger  of  discovery  was  passed  ;  but  what  was 
their  astonishment  and  alarm  when  one  of 
their  schoolmates,  who  had  seen  them  climb 
the  fence,  hurried  up  to  them,  exclaiming  as 
soon  as  he  came  within  speaking  distance  : 

"Hallo,  fellows!  where  have  you  been  to- 
day?" 

"We  have  been  at  home,"  replied  Frank, 
who,  having  a  larger  stock  of  falsehoods  at  his 
command  than  his  cousin,  was  always  expected 
to  speak  for  him.  "We  couldn't  come  to 
school  to-day." 

"  That's    very   strange,"   replied    the  boy. 


PAYING   THE  FIDDLER.  249 

"  Miles  Jackson  went  to  your  house  this  morn- 
ing to  ask  where  you  were,  and  returned  with 
the  report  that  you  had  started  for  school  as 
usual." 

Leon  was  almost  ready  to  drop,  and  Frank, 
as  soon  as  he  had  somewhat  recovered  from  his 
amazement,  asked  angrily : 

"  What  business  had  Miles  Jackson  to  make 
inquiries  about  us,  I'd  like  to  know  ?  " 

"The  professor  sent  him,"  replied  the  boy. 
"You  see  there  was  a  new  rule  went  into 
operation  this  morning.  Mr.  Chamberlain 
saj^s  he'll  not  be  responsible  for  our  advance- 
ment, unless  we  come  to  school  regularly  ; 
and  hereafter  when  any  of  the  pupils  are 
absent,  he's  going  to  send  somebody  to  their 
homes  to  find  out  what's  the  matter." 

The  boy  hurried  on  to  overtake  some  fel- 
lows he  saw  in  advance  of  him,  leaving  Frank 
and  Leon  standing  on  the  sidewalk,  and  look- 
ing at  each  other  in  speechless  amazement. 

"It's  all  up  with  us,"  groaned  Leon,  as 
soon  as  he  had  recovered  the  use  of  his  tongue. 
"We  have  danced,  and  now  we  must  pay  the 
fiddler." 


250      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"  What  a  little  snipe  that  Miles  Jackson 
is ! "  exclaimed  Frank,  in  great  disgust. 
"Why  couldn't  he  tell  the  professor  that  we 
were  kept  at  home  ?  " 

"Oh,  he  isn't  that  sort!"  replied  Leon. 
"You  needn't  expect  him  to  help  you  out  of 
any  scrape  you  get  into." 

"No;  you  can't  expect  such  a  favor  from 
any  fellow  in  this  town,"  snapped  Frank. 
"  It  takes  city  boys  to  do  that.  They  stick 
to  one  another  through  thick  and  thin,  and 
any  spoony  who  tries  to  win  the  favor  of  the 
teacher  by  carrying  tales  is  cut  dead  as  soon 
as  he  is  found  out.  There's  another  fellow 
who  is  mean  enough  for  anything." 

"Don't  talk  so  •loud,"  whispered  Leon 
hastily.  "  You  can  get  into  trouble  with  him 
in  a  minute." 

"I  don't  care,"  replied  Frank,  in  a  still 
louder  tone.  "I  haven't  seen  a  boy  yet  in 
this  town  that  I  am  afraid  of." 

The  subject  of  this  conversation  was  Sam 
Hynes,  who  was  striding  along  about  twenty 
yards  in  front  of  them,  in  his  usual  free-and- 
easy  manner,  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  his 


PAYING   THE   FIDDLER.  251 

cap  on  the  back  of  his  head.  He  must  have 
been  very  much  engrossed  with  his  own 
thoughts,  or  else  he  would  certainly  have 
heard  what  Frank  said. 

Arriving  at  the  gate  that  led  into  Mrs. 
Preston's  yard,  he  jerked  it  open — Sam 
handled  everything  as  if  it  were  made  of 
iron — and,  to  the  intense  amazement  of  Leon 
and  his  cousin,  was  greeted  by  Oscar's 
hound. 

The  moment  the  gate  was  opened,  the  huge 
animal  raised  himself  on  his  hind  legs  and 
placed  his  forefeet  upon  Sam's  shoulders. 

"  Well,  I  declare  !  "  exclaimed  Leon. 

"I  thought  as  much,"  replied  his  cousin. 
"There's  that  dog  as  gay  and  frisky  as  he 
was  this  morning,  when  he  was  following  that 
trail.  A  pretty  shot  you  made,  didn't 
you?" 

"I know  I  hit  him  somewhere,"  said  Leon. 
"  Let's  have  a  look  at  him,  and  see  if  I  didn't. 
It's  strange  how  much  everybody  thinks  of 
that  hound.  He's  got  more  friends  in  town 
than  I  have." 

The  cousins  saw  Sam  pat  the  animal  on  the 


252       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

head,  then  gently  push  him  off  and  bend  over 
to  examine  his  ear. 

Just  then  Bugle  happened  to  look  around 
the  gate-post  and  saw  Frank  and  Leon  ap- 
proaching. With  an  angry  growl,  he  dashed 
forward,  throwing  Sam  flatter  than  he  had 
ever  been  thrown  by  any  boy  of  his  age,  and 
in  a  moment  more  something  disagreeable 
and  even  tragic  might  have  happened,  had  it 
not  been  for  Sam's  wonderful  agility. 

He  did  not  know  what  was  the  matter,  but 
he  saw  that  the  hound  had  made  up  his  mind 
to  bite  somebody  and  he  was  resolved  to  pre- 
vent it  if  he  could. 

As  Bugle  passed  him,  Sam  caught  him  by 
one  of  his  hind  legs,  and,  scrambling  quickly 
to  his  feet,  drew  the  dog  toward  him,  until  he 
could  seize  him  by  the  back  of  the  neck.  But 
Frank  thought  the  animal  was  coming,  and 
uttered  a  scream  that  could  have  been  heard 
two  blocks  away. 

Then  Oscar  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  after 
that  came  the  colloquy  we  have  already  re- 
corded, during  which  two  facts  were  brought 
to  light.  One  was  that  Oscar  knew  right 


PAYING  THE   FIDDLER.  253 

where  to  look  to  find  the  person  who  had  shot 
his  favorite,  and  the  other,  that  there  was  at 
least  one  boy  in  Eaton  of  whom  the  boastful 
Frank  was  afraid. 

When  Leon  and  his  cousin  resumed  their 
walk  toward  home,  their  faces  were  very  pale  ; 
but  they  soon  recovered  from  their  fright,  and 
then,  as  a  natural  consequence,  they  began  to 
get  angry. 

They  had  got  themselves  deeply  in  trouble 
that  day  ;  but,  instead  of  being  sorry  for  it, 
and  making  an  honest  resolve  that  they  would 
do  better  in  future,  they  became  enraged  at 
their  luck,  which  had  not  served  them  a  better 
turn. 

Having  no  one  else  upon  whom  to  vent  their 
spite,  they  began  abusing  each  other. 

"  If  it  hadn't  been  for  Sam  Hynes,  that  dog 
would  have  made  bad  work  with  us  !  "  ex- 
claimed Frank.  "  You  came  very  near  getting 
us  into  a  pretty  scrape  by  your  miserable 
marksmanship.  I  wouldn't  brag  any  more 
about  my  skill  with  a  shot-gun,  if  I  were  in 
your  place." 

"  That's  a  nice  way  for  you  to  talk,  isn't 


254      TWO   WATS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

it?"  retorted  Leon.  "Do  I  brag  any  more 
than  you  do  ?  You  said  there  wasn't  a  boy  in 
town  you  were  afraid  of,  and  yet,  when  you 
saw  that  Sam  Hynes  was  going  to  open  that 
gate,  you  were  in  such  a  hurry  to  take  back 
your  words  that  you  couldn't  talk  plainly." 

The  cousins,  being  in  a  very  bad  humor, 
continued  to  exchange  such  compliments  as 
these  until  they  arrived  in  sight  of  Mr.  Park- 
er's house. 

Then  they  became  silent,  for  they  had  other 
matters  to  think  of. 

What  was  going  to  happen  when  they  got 
on  the  inside  of  that  house  ? 

They  would  have  been  glad  if  they  could 
have  found  an  excuse  for  postponing  their 
entrance  indefinitely  ;  but,  knowing  that  they 
must  face  the  consequences  of  their  folly 
sooner  or  later,  they  opened  the  gate  without 
hesitation,  mounted  the  steps,  and  entered  the 
sitting  room. 

To  the  no  small  astonishment  of  both  boys, 
the  first  person  upon  whom  their  eyes  rested 
was  Mr.  Fuller — Frank's  father. 

He  had  come  down  from  Boston  to  see  how 


PAYING   THE   FIDDLER.  255 

his  son  was  getting  on,  and  hoping  to  hear  a 
good  report  of  him.  He  also  had  some  news 
to  communicate  that,  twenty-four  hoars  before, 
would  have  made  the  boys  dance  with  delight. 

He  had  decided  to  start  for  California,  on  a 
business  tour,  in  about  three  weeks  ;  he  was 
going  to  take  Frank  with  him,  and  he  had 
asked  Mr.  Parker  to  allow  Leon  to  accompany 
them. 

The  subject  was  broached  that  morning 
when  Mr.  Fuller  first  arrived,  and  Frank  and 
Leon's  prospects  for  making  an  extended 
pleasure-trip  looked  very  bright  indeed  ;  but, 
during  the  discussion,  Miles  Jackson — acting 
under  instructions  from  Mr.  Chamberlain— 
suddenly  made  his  appearance,  and  wanted 
to  know  why  the  boys  were  not  at 
school. 

The  runaway  business  dashed  all  their  pros- 
pects to  the  ground — and  that  was  only  the 
beginning  of  their  trouble. 

Another  occupant  of  the  room — whom  the 
boys  did  not  expect  to  see — was  Mr.  Parker, 
who  was  generally  at  his  office  this  hour  of 
the  day. 


25G       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUXTKR. 

As  the  truants  came  in,  lie  arose  and  moved 
toward  the  library,  beckoning  to  Leon  to  fol- 
low him. 

He  closed  the  door  behind  him,  Mrs.  Parker 
left  the  room,  and  Frank  found  himself  alone 
with  his  father. 

"Well,  young  man,"  said  Mr.  Fuller, 
"  where  have  you  been  to-day  ?" 

The  boy  did  not  know  what  to  say.  He 
was  in  a  scrape  that  he  could  not  lie 
out  of. 

"  Where  have  you  been  to-day  ?  "  repeated 
Mr.  Fuller  sternly. 

The  look  and  the  tone  in  which  these  words 
were  uttered  loosened  Frank's  tongue  very 
quickly. 

"  I  have  been  in  the  woods,  sir,"  said  he. 

"  Been  in  the  woods  !  "  repeated  his  father. 
"  Ran  away  from  school !  Sneaked  out  of  the 
house  like  a  thief  !  Is  this  what  I  sent  you  to 
Eaton  for?" 

"No,  sir  ;  but  I  don't  like  this  school,  and 
I  don't  want  to  stay  here.  I  want  to  go 
home." 

"You'll  not  go  home.     You  will  stay  right 


PAYING   THE   FIDDLER.  257 

here,  and  go  to  school  every  day  ;  and  if  I 
ever  hear  of  your  playing  truant  again,  there 
will  be  a  settlement  between  us  that  you  will 
remember.  Now,  youifg  man,  I  will  tell  you, 
for  your  satisfaction,  that  you  have  destroyed 
all  your  chances  of  going  to  California  with 
me.  Don't  expect  any  privileges  until  you 
have  learned  to  behave  yourself." 

Mr.  Fuller  settled  back  on  the  sofa  and 
turned  his  attention  to  the  paper  he  held  in 
his  hand,  while  Frank,  after  sitting  uneasily 
on  the  edge  of  his  chair  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
twirling  his  cap  on  his  finger,  arose  and  left 
the  room. 

Presently  the  door  of  the  library  opened, 
and  Leon  came  out,  with  red  and  swollen 
eyes,  and  started  for  the  barn. 

When  he  returned,  he  brought  with  him  his 
cousin's  rifle  and  his  own  double-barrel,  which 
had  been  hidden  in  the  haymow. 

The  double-barrel  and  its  equipments  he 
carried  into  the  library,  and  saw  them  placed 
in  one  of  the  long  drawers  of  the  bookcase 
and  locked  up.  The  rifle  he  carried  to  his 
own  room,  where  he  found  his  cousin  pacing 

17 


258       TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTKIC. 

back  and  forth,  flourishing  his  fists  in  the  air 
and  talking  to  himself. 

He  was  in  a  state  of  almost  ungovernable 
fuiy.  When  Leon  came  in,  he  stopped  and 
looked  at  him. 

"What  did  your  father  say  to  you?"  he 
asked,  "and  where  is  your  gun  ? " 

"  My  gun  is  under  lock  and  key,  and  I  can't 
have  it  again  this  winter,"  whined  Leon. 
"Father  says  that  if  I  am  going  to  be  a  vaga- 
bond, and  spend  my  time  in  the  woods,  I  shall 
not  have  a  gun  to  help  me  enjoy  myself. 
You  got  us  both  into  a  nice  mess  this  morn- 
ing, didn't  you?" 

"Now  don't  go  back  on  me  in  that  fash- 
ion," exclaimed  Frank.  "  We  are  in  a  bad 
fix,  and  we  must  stick  together  in  order  to  get 
out  of  it." 

These  words  seemed  to  make  an  impression 
upon  Leon.  The  angry  scowl  faded  from  his 
face,  and  the  next  words  he  addressed  to  his 
cousin  were  spoken  in  a  more  friendly  tone. 

"What  did  Uncle  William  say  to  you?" 
he  inquired. 

"He  said  only  one  thing  I  can  remember." 


PAYING   THE   FIDDLER.  259 

replied  Frank  ;  "and  that  is,  that  I  have  lost 
all  my  chances  of  going  out  West." 

"That's  just  what  my  father  said  to  me," 
returned  Leon.  "  It  seems  that  Uncle  Wil- 
liam came  here  on  purpose  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  taking  us  with  him  on  his  trip  to 
California ;  but  by  this  day's  work  we  have 
knocked  everything  on  the  head." 

"We'll  see  about  that,"  said  Frank,  in  a 
savage  tone. 

"I  wish  you  had  been  in  Guinea,  before 
you  proposed  running  away  from  school  this 
morning,"  continued  Leon,  growing  angry 
again,  and  slamming  his  cousin's  rifle  down 
upon  the  bed. 

"You  were  ready  enough  to  join  in  with 
me,"  retorted  Frank.  "But  go  back  on  me 
if  you  feel  like  it.  I  can  take  care  of  myself. 
I  am  going  to  straighten  things  out  in  a 
hurry." 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  ?  " 

• 

"  I  intend  to  clear  out,  and  I  shall  not  be 
long  about  it,  either.  Father  says  I  must  stay 
here  and  go  to  school  every  day  ;  but  I'll  show 
him  whether  I  will  or  not.  I  wouldn't  be 


260      TWO   WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A   IIUXTER. 

afraid  to  bet  him  the  twenty  dollars  I've  got 
in  my  trunk  that  I'll  see  that  western  country 
before  he  does." 

Leon  sat  down  on  the  bed  and  looked  at  his 
cousin  without  speaking. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

LEOX   MAKES    UP   HIS   MIND. 

~TT"OUR  father  couldn't  have  come  here  at  a 
JL  worse  time,  could  he?"  said  Leon,  at 
length. 

He  was  disappointed  rather  than  angry. 
His  uncle  had  formed  some  very  elaborate 
plans  for  his  enjoyment,  and  also  Frank's,  and 
they  had  knocked  them  all  on  the  head  by 
running  away  from  school. 

It  was  Mr.  Fuller's  intention  to  cross  the 
plains  on  horseback  (the  Pacific  Railroad  was 
not  in  existence  at  the  time  these  incidents 
happened)  and  return  by  steamer. 

The  boys  would  have  been  delighted  by  a 
trip  like  this,  and  they  might  have  gone  had 
it  not  been  for  their  one  act  of  folly.  Frank 
showed  a  disposition  to  smash  things  when 
he  thought  about  it,  but  Leon  felt  more  like 
crying. 

"His  coming  here  made  no  difference.     He 

261 


262      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

would  have  found  out  all  about  it,  sooner  or 
later,  for  your  father  would  have  written  him 
full  particulars.  But  I  don't  care!"  said 
Frank,  who  continued  to  stride  up  and  down 
the  room,  shaking  his  fists  in  the  air.  "I  am 
going  to  clear  out,  and  if  you  have  any  pluck 
at  all,  you  will  do  the  same." 

Leon  placed  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  fast- 
ened his  eyes  upon  the  floor,  and  made  no 
immediate  reply. 

He  had  talked  very  glibly  about  leaving  his 
comfortable  home  and  going  out  into  the  world 
to  make  himself  famous  as  a  hunter  and 
Indian-fighter,  but  in  dreaming  about  it  he 
had  always  skipped  the  preliminaries. 

How  he  was  going  to  leave  home  and  make 
his  way  to  that  pleasant  valley  in  the  moun- 
tains in  which  he  intended  to  build  his  cabin, 
he  did  not  knowr,  nor  did  he  care  to  trouble 
himself  about  it. 

Some  boys,  as  we  know,  make  great  calcu- 
lations, and  have  much  to  say  about  the  fame 
they  expect  to  win,  when  they  are  established 
in  some  business  or  profession  and  have  plenty 
of  money  at  their  disposal,  but  they  make  no 


LEON    MAKES    UP    HIS    MIND.  263 

note  of  the  long  hours  that  must  be  spent  in 
study  and  hard  work  before  they  can  attain  to 
the  desired  eminence. 

So  with  Leon.  He  sometimes  spent  half  the 
night  going  through  imaginary  fights  with 
grizzly  bears,  Indians,  and  outlaws,  and  pictur- 
ing to  himself  the  delight  that  would  be  his 
when  he  was  fairly  settled  in  his  mountain- 
home  ;  but  he  did  not  like  to  dwell  upon  the 
thought  that,  before  all  this  could  be  accom- 
plished, he  must  sneak  away  from  his  father's 
house  like  a  thief  in  the  night,  and  make  a 
long  journey  by  rail  and  steam-boat  before  he 
would  be  anywhere  within  reach  of  his  hunt- 
ing-grounds. 

But  now  these  matters  were  brought 
squarely  home  to  him,  and  it  was  high  time  he 
was  bestowing  some  thought  upon  them. 

"  You  don't  seem  to  be  very  enthusiastic," 
said  Frank,  suddenly  pausing  in  his  walk  and 
looking  sharply  at  his  cousin.  "No  longer 
ago  than  this  morning  you  talked  as  though 
you  were  crazy  to  get  away  from  home  and  be- 
come your  own  master  !  " 

"I  wish  I  could  see  that  western  country' 


264      TWO   WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

before  I  go  there  to  live,"  said  Leon.  "I 
don't  know  anything  about  it." 

"Well,  how  are  you  going  to  find  out  any- 
thing about  it  until  you  go  there?"  asked 
Frank.  "  And  how  are  you  going  to  get  there 
unless  you  pack  up  and  start  off  on  your  own 
hook  ?  My  father  will  not  take  you,  or  me 
either.  How  much  money  have  you  got  in  the 
bank?" 

"Six  hundred  dollars,"  replied  Leon. 

"Whew  !  "  whistled  Frank,  opening  his  eyes 
in  great  amazement.  "That  will  take  us  to 
Independence  with  flying  colors.  After  we 
get  there  we'll  buy  a  couple  of  saddle-horses 
and  a  pack-mule,  and  then  we'll  be  all  right ; 
we'll  not  ask  favors  of  anybody." 

"But  how  will  we  know  which  way  to  go  ? " 
asked  Leon. 

"Oh,  we'll  look  for  a  wagon-train;  that's 
the  way  the  most  of  the  emigrants  do.  If  we 
can;t  find  one,  we'll  start  off  by  ourselves. 
We  can't  get  lost,  for  the  trails  are  as  plain 
as  the  road  in  front  of  the  house." 

"  But  the  Indians  might  find  us,"  suggested 
Leon. 


LEOX   MAKES    UP   HIS   MIND. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  anyhow?" 
demanded  Frank  sharply.  "If  you  don't 
want  to  go,  say  so  at  once,  and  I'll  start  off 
by  myself.  The  Indians  won't  bother  us  un- 
til we  get  where  they  are,  will  they  ?  There 
are  none  along  these  trails  of  which  I  speak. 
Why,  as  early  as  1856,  travelling  there  was 
perfectly  safe.  Have  you  never  heard  of  the 
t\vo  thousand  Mormons  who  walked  and 
pushed  hand-carts  all  the  way  from  Iowa  City 
to  Salt  Lake  ?  They  were  often  attacked  by 
wolves — we  shouldn't  mind  the  wolves,  you 
know  ;  a  few  fights  with  them  would  relieve 
the  monotony  of  our  journey — but  the  history 
of  that  expedition  doesn't  say  that  they  ever 
saw  an  Indian." 

When  Leon  heard  this,  he  straightened  up 
and  began  to  take  some  interest  in  what  his 
cousin  w7as  saying ;  but  it  is  probable  that 
his  interest  would  have  died  away  again 
very  speedily  if  he  had  been  told  something 
of  the  history  of  those  hand-cart  expedi- 
tions. 

It  is  thirteen  hundred  miles  from  Iowa  City 
to  Salt  Lake  Valley,  and  it  requires  fifteen 


266    TWO  WAYS  or  BECOMING  A  HUNTER. 

weeks  of  constant  travelling  to  accomplish  the 
distance. 

Of  the  first  division  of  five  hundred  Mor- 
mons, who  left  Iowa  City  in  July  to  trundle 
their  hand-carts  to  Salt  Lake,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  perished  miserably  before  reaching 
their  destination. 

Their  cattle  starved  or  died  from  overwork, 
their  provisions  gave  out,  winter  overtook 
them  while  they  were  still  five  hundred  miles 
from  the  valley,  and  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  them  to  wake  up  in  the  morning  and 
find  from  three  to  fifteen  of  their  number  cold 
in  death. 

Of  the  second  companj7'  of  six  hundred, 
which  left  the  Missouri  in  August,  only  four 
hundred  and  fifty  reached  the  valley  ;  and  out 
of  the  whole  number — two  thousand — three 
hundred  were  starved,  frozen,  or  devoured  by 
wolves,  and  two  hundred  were  maimed  for  life. 

Frank  knew  all  this,  for  he  had  read  a  full 
account  of  it ;  but  it  did  not  daunt  him,  for 
he  believed  that  in  some  mysterious  way  he 
would  be  able  to  escape  the  perils  that  fell  to 
the  lot  of  other  travellers  on  the  plains. 


LEON   MAKES   UP   HIS    MIXD.  267 

"I'll  not  say  a  word  to  Leon  about  the 
dangers  they  encountered,"  soliloquized 
Frank,  "for  if  I  do,  it  will  take  all  the  pluck 
out  of  him.  He  hasn't  even  courage  enough 
to  run  away  from  a  tyrant  of  a  father — I  can 
see  that  plainly  enough  ;  but  as  I  am  deter- 
mined to  go  myself,  and  he  has  money,  while 
I  have  none  to  speak  of,  I  must  get  him  inter- 
ested in  the  matter.  Now,  how  am  I  going  to 
do  it  ?  That's  the  question." 

Frank,  relapsing  into  silence,  placed  his 
hands  behind  his  back  and  resumed  his  walk 
up  and  down  the  room,  turning  the  question 
over  in  his  mind.  If  he  had  only  known  it, 
there  was  no  need  that  he  should  trouble  him- 
self about  the  matter,  for  that  very  night  an 
incident  happened  that  turned  the  scale  in  his 
favor. 

While  he  was  wondering  what  he  could  say 
that  would  induce  his  cousin  to  fall  in  with 
his  wild  scheme,  the  supper-bell  rang. 

The  truants  would  have  been  glad  of  an 
excuse  for  disregarding  the  summons,  but 
knowing  that  if  they  did  not  answer  it  imme- 
diately, somebody  would  come  upstairs  to 


208      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTER. 

see  about  it,  they  made  a  hasty  toilet  and 
descended  to  the  dining  room. 

To  their  great  relief,  nothing  was  said  or 
done  to  indicate  that  anything  had  gone 
wrong  that  day.  Their  fathers  had  had  a 
settlement  with  them,  and  that  was  the  end  of 
the  matter. 

They  were  treated  with  as  much  considera- 
tion as  they  usually  were,  but  Frank  grew 
angry  again  when  his  father  talked  about  the 
mines  in  which  he  was  interested,  and  de- 
scribed the  wonders  which  he  expected  to  see 
during  his  absence. 

Frank  finished  his  supper  as  soon  as  he 
could,  and  then  gave  his  cousin  a  wink,  which 
the  latter  understood. 

As  they  asked  to  be  excused,  and  arose 
from  the  table,  Mr.  Parker  turned  from  his 
brother-in-law,  with  whom  he  was  conversing, 
and  said  to  his  son  : 

"Leon,  don't  go  away  to-night." 

"No,  sir,"  replied  the  boy.  "Do  you 
know  what  that  means?"  he  added  angrily, 
when  he  and  his  cousin  were  safe  in  their 
room  again.  "It  means  that  my  liberty  is 


LEON   MAKES   UP   HIS   MIXD.  269 

stopped — that  I  can't  even  go  outside  of  the 
gate  any  more  until  father  says  the  word." 

"Well,  you're  a  fool  if  you  stand  it,"  re- 
plied Frank.  "Make  up  your  mind  to  go 
with  me,  and  then  you  can  do  as  you  please." 

"My  mind  is  made  up!"  exclaimed  Leon, 
with  a  sudden  burst  of  fury.  "If  my  gun 
wasn't  locked  up,  I'd  start  to-night ;  and  if  I 
once  get  away,  I'll  never  set  my  foot  in  Eaton 
again." 

"  That  gun  is  just  what  troubles  me,"  re- 
plied Frank.  "  We  can't  get  it  until  my 
father  goes  away,  because  lie  or  some  of  the 
family  are  always  in  the  sitting  room.  Does 
one  key  unlock  every  drawer  in  that  book- 
case?" 

Leon  replied  that  it  did. 

"Then  we  needn't  worry.  I  have  often 
seen  the  key  left  in  the  doors  of  the  bookcase, 
and  when  we  get  ready  to  start,  we'll  have  that 
gun  out  of  there.  All  we've  got  to  do  is  to 
watch  our  chance  and  slip  into  the  library 
some  night  when  the  sitting  room  is  empty. 
Where  is  your  bank-book  ?  " 

"  In  mother's  bureau." 


270      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   JIUXTEE. 

"  Have  you  got  pluck  enougli  to  steal  it  out 
of  there?" 

"Yes,  I  have/'  answered  Leon,  with  more 
spirit  than  his  cousin  had  ever  seen  him  ex- 
hibit before. 

"  Well,  after  you  get  it,  will  you  go  to  the 
bank  and  draw  your  money  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  will.  I'm  not  going  to  be  deprived 
of  all  privileges  and  shut  up  as  if  I  were  a 
felon." 

"  That's  the  way  to  talk,"  said  Frank,  giving 
his  cousin  an  approving  slap  on  the  back. 
"I  was  mistaken  in  you.  You  have  some 
courage,  after  all." 

Prank  was  satisfied  now.  If  he  could  only 
keep  his  cousin  in  an  angry  mood,  he  was  sure 
of  money  enough  to  defray  his  expenses  to 
the  plains.  It  was  not  so  very  difficult  to  do 
this,  for  events  seemed  to  conspire  to  assist 
them. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

PLANS   AND   ARRANGEMENTS. 

THE  discussion  thus  commenced  was  kept 
up  until  midnight,  and  Leon  gladdened 
the  heart  of  his  cousin  by  repeatedly  declaring 
that  he  had  determined  upon  his  course,  and 
that  nothing  could  induce  him  to  change  his 
mind. 

They  did  not  go  out  of  their  room  again 
that  night.  They  sat  at  the  window  and  talked 
about  the  glorious  times  they  expected  to  have 
when  they  reached  the  plains,  and  when  Mr. 
Parker  and  Mr.  Fuller  went  out  of  the  gate 
and  started  for  the  village,  Frank  took  occa- 
sion to  comment  upon  it. 

"They  are  free  to  go  and  come  as  they 
please,"  said  he,  with  no  little  show  of  tem- 
per, "  and  here  we  are  shut  up  like  a  couple  of 
thieves." 

"  You  are  not  shut  up,"  said  Leon.  "  Your 
father  didn't  tell  you  to  stay  in." 

271 


272      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  I  am  going  to  enjoy 
myself  unless  you  can  go,  too  ?"  asked  Frank, 
who  seemed  to  have  grown  very  disinterested 
all  of  a  sudden.  "  No,  sir  !  We  got  into  this 
trouble  together,  and  we'll  stick  to  each  other 
until  we  are  safely  out  of  it." 

'Tve  just  thought  of  something,"  said 
Leon  suddenly.  "How  are  we  going  to  get 
an  excuse  to-morrow?  You  can't  write  one, 
for  the  professor  has  found  out  through  that 
little  snipe,  Miles  Jackson,  that  we  ran  away." 

"We'll  not  say  a  word  about  it,"  replied 
his  cousin.  "If  your  father  feels  like  giving 
us  an  excuse,  all  right;  if  he  doesn't  we'll  go 
without  one." 

Frank  spoke  as  though  he  had  no  interest  in 
the  matter,  but  it  troubled  him  not  a  little. 

It  troubled  Leon,  too,  and  it  was  not  settled 
until  the  next  morning,  when  Mr.  Parker  said 
to  Leon,  as  the  latter  arose  from  the  breakfast 
table  : 

"  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  plan  for  you  to 
look  over  the  lessons  you  missed  yesterday. 
I  will  call  at  ten  minutes  of  nine,  and  walk 
down  to  the  school-house  with  you." 


PLANS    AND    ARRANGEMENTS.  273 

"Yes,  no  doubt  I'll  look  over  those  les- 
sons!" said  Leon,  when  he  and  his  cousin 
had  closed  the  door  of  the  room  behind  them. 
"I'll  see  all  the  school-books  in  the  country 
in  Guinea  before  I  will  touch  one  until  I  am 
obliged  to  do  so  !  " 

But  Leon  was  handling  his  school-books 
even  while  he  spoke.  He  and  Frank  had  each 
two  sets — one  at  school  and  another  which 
they  kept  at  home,  and  which  they  were  sup- 
posed to  study  occasionally  of  evenings. 

The  first  thing  the  t\vo  boys  did  was  to  scat- 
ter their  books  all  over  the  table,  so  that  if 
Mr.  Parker  should  happen  to  come  into  the 
room,  he  would  be  led  to  believe  that  they 
had  been  studying ;  and  then  they  sat  down 
and  talked  about  the  subject  that  was  upper- 
most in  their  minds. 

At  the  appointed  time,  Mr.  Parker  came  to 
the  foot  of  the  stairs  and  called  to  them  to 
come  down. 

He  walked  with  them  to  the  school-house, 
and,  leaving   them   in   the   yard,  entered  the 
building  and   sought  an   interview  with  Mr. 
Chamberlain. 
18 


274      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A   IIUXTER. 

What  passed  between  the  two  gentlemen 
the  truants  never  knew.  There  was  nothing 
said  to  them  about  running  away  from  school, 
and  they  very  soon  became  satisfied  that  their 
previous  day's  work  would  bring  them  into  no 
trouble  with  their  teacher.  But  they  got  into 
trouble  with  somebody  else  before  four  o'clock 
came. 

It  happened  on  the  ball-ground  during  the 
afternoon  recess. 

Leon  was  having  a  good  deal  to  say  re- 
garding Oscar  Preston's  dishonesty  and  Mr. 
Smith's  refusal  to  give  him  a  letter  of  recom- 
mendation, and  Frank  was  helping  him  by 
putting  in  a  word  occasionally,  when  Sam 
Hynes  and  his  base-ball  bat  suddenly  appeared 
on  the  scene. 

Leon's  speech  was  brought  to  a  sudden 
close,  for  he  was  doubled  up  like  a  jack-knife 
by  a  punch  in  the  ribs  from  the  bat,  and 
Frank  escaped  similar  treatment  by  taking  to 
his  heels. 

The  consequence  was  that  the  names  of 
Sam  Hynes  and  Leon  Parker  appeared  among 
those  of  other  delinquents  who  were  requested 


PLAXS    AXD   ARRANGEMENTS.  275 

to  keep  their  seats  when  the  rest  of  the  stu- 
dents were  dismissed. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  a  settlement  had 
been  had  with  all  the  law-breakers  except  Sam 
and  Leon. 

The  principal  looked  at  them  a  moment,  and 
said  solemnly  : 

"Boys,  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  you  have 
been  fighting." 

"Mr.  Chamberlain,"  said  Sam,  "I  did  all 
the  fighting  that  was  done.  Leon  never  lifted 
a  hand." 

The  professor  looked  down  at  the  paper- 
cutter  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  finally  said  : 

"  Parker,  you  may  go." 

"Good  for  me!"  said  Leon  to  himself,  as 
he  hurried  down  the  stairs.  "I  am  well  out 
of  that  scrape.  I  hope  you'll  get  a  good 
licking,  Mr.  Sam  Hynes ;  that's  all  the  harm 
I  wish  you." 

If  Leon  had  been  standing  in  front  of  the 
school-house  about  ten  minutes  later,  he  would 
have  been  disappointed,  and  perhaps  greatly 
disgusted. 

A  step  sounded  in  the  hall,  and  Sam  Hynes 


276      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

came  bounding  out  as  if  he  were  set  on 
springs. 

When  he  reached  the  steps,  he  thrust  his 
hands  into  his  pockets,  struck  up  a  lively 
whistle,  and  walked  off  with  an  air  which 
seemed  to  say  that  he  was  well  satisfied  with 
the  world  and  everybody  in  it,  himself  in- 
cluded. 

It  was  evident  from  his  actions  that  he  had 
not  been  very  severely  reprimanded  for  the 
part  he  had  taken  in  the  affair  on  the  ball- 
ground  ;  but  Leon  could  not  say  as  much  for 
himself  half  an  hour  after  he  arrived  at  his 
father's  house. 

Frank  had  been  loitering  along  the  road, 
waiting  for  Leon,  and  when  the  two  reached 
home,  they  found  all  the  family  there  as  before. 

Leon  was  at  once  invited  into  the  librarj7, 
while  Frank,  who  did  not  care  to  stay  where 
his  father  was,  went  up  to  his  room.  He 
wondered  what  was  wrong  now,  and  when  his 
cousin  came  up  he  found  out. 

Leon's  face  was  very  pale,  his  eyes  were 
red  and  swollen,  and  Frank  had  never  seen 
him  so  angry  before. 


PLANS   AND    ARRANGEMENTS.  277 

"  Father  knows  all  about  that  fuss  we  had 
at  school  to-day,"  said  he,  as  soon  as  he  en- 
tered the  room.  "  He  heard  some  of  the 
students  talking  about  it  at  the  post  office.  It 
beats  me  how  many  fellows  there  are  in  the 
world  who  can't  be  easy  until  they  tell  all 
they  know." 

"Well,  what  of  it?"  inquired  Frank 
shortly. 

"What  of  it!"  repeated  Leon.  "Father 
gave  me  the  worst  going-over  I  ever  had  in  my 
life.  He  praised  Oscar  up  to  the  skies,  and 
told  me,  in  so  many  words,  that  I  would  do 
well  to  take  him  for  a  model." 

"The  idea!"  exclaimed  Frank.  "A 
market-shooter !  He  is  a  pretty  model  for 
any  decent  boy  !  " 

"It  has  always  been  so,"  said  Leon  bit- 
terly. "  Father  sees  something  good  in  every- 
body except  me  ;  and  if  I  am  so  awful  bad,  he 
won't  feel  sorry  when  I  get  out  of  his  sight." 

After  this,  Leon  seemed  to  throw  all  his 
fears  and  scruples  to  the  winds.  He  had  got 
it  into  his  head  that  he  was  a  badly  abused 
boy,  that  he  would  be  in  trouble  as  long  as  he 


278      TWO   WATS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

remained  in  Eaton,  and  he  was  impatient  to 
get  out  into  the  world  where  he  could  do  as  he 
pleased  without  any  fear  of  being  taken  to 
task  for  his  misdeeds. 

Mr.  Fuller  remained  in  Eaton  for  nearly  two 
weeks,  and  Frank,  who  did  not  think  it  safe 
to  attempt  to  carry  out  his  plans  until  his 
father  was  well  on  his  way  toward  home, 
fumed  and  fretted  all  the  day. 

During  that  time  the  two  discontented  boys 
went  to  school  regularly — it  was  dangerous  to 
play  truant  now  that  that  new  rule  had  gone 
into  operation — and  if  they  learned  nothing 
else,  they  did  learn  these  four  things  : 

That  Oscar  Preston's  reputation  had  been 
cleared  ;  that  Mr.  Smith  had  apologized  and 
offered  to  make  all  the  amends  in  his  power  ; 
that  Oscar  and  Sam  Hynes  had  made  heroes 
of  themselves  by  saving  a  man  from  drowning  ; 
and  that  the  man  was  rich,  and  was  going  to 
do  something  for  Oscar. 

They  were  not,  however,  acquainted  with 
the  fact  that  the  rescued  man  had  already 
done  something  for  the  young  taxidermist,  in 
that  he  had  offered  him  a  hundred  dollars  a 


PLANS    AND   ARRANGEMENTS.  279 

month  and  expenses  to  procure  specimens  for 
the  university  museum. 

In  fact,  there  were  very  few  people  in  the 
village  who  knew  that,  for  Oscar  had  spoken 
of  it  only  to  those  whom  he  was  sure  he  could 
trust  with  the  secret. 

There  was  an  interview  yet  to  come  with  the 
members  of  the  committee,  and  Oscar  thought 
it  would  be  time  enough  to  speak  of  the  pro- 
fessor's offer  after  the  result  of  that  interview 
was  known. 

Tuesday  morning  came  at  last,  and  Mr. 
Fuller,  after  taking  leave  of  his  son  and  giving 
him  some  good  advice — to  which,  it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  say,  Frank  paid  no  sort  of  atten- 
tion— stepped  into  Mr.  Parker's  carriage  and 
was  driven  to  the  depot. 

Frank  stood  on  the  porch  with  his  aunt  and 
cousin,  watching  the  carriage  as  long  as  it  re- 
mained in  sight. 

He  had  assumed  a  very  sober  face  for  the 
occasion,  and  seemed  to  be*  much  dejected. 
When  the  carriage  disappeared,  he  went 
slowly  up  the  stairs  to  his  room,  and  Leon 
followed  him. 


280    TWO  WAYS  or  BECOMING  A  HUNTER. 

The  moment  the  latter  closed  the  door, 
Frank's  countenance  changed  as  if  by  magic. 

"Now,  then,"  said  he  briskly,  "the  time 
for  action  has  come.  Go  down  and  steal  that 
bank-book,  and  be  quick  about  it,  for  it  is 
almost  school-time." 

"I  am  almost  afraid  to  do  it,"  answered 
Leon.  "Mother  may  have  occasion  to  go  to 
that  bureau  drawer  some  time  during  the  day, 
and  what  would  become  of  us  if  she  should 
miss  the  book  and  make  inquiries  about  it  ? 
The  risk  is  too  great.  Whenever  I  steal  that 
book,  we  must  draw  the  money  and  get  out  of 
town  without  an  hour's  delay." 

"Now,  how  in  the  world  are  we  going  to 
do  that?"  questioned  Frank  impatiently. 
"We  can't  walk  out  of  town  with  our  guns 
and  carpet-bags  in  broad  daylight.  You  must 
get  that  book  now,  take  it  to  school  with  you, 
and  run  down  to  the  bank  at  noon  and.  draw 
the  money.  When  we  come  home,  we'll  think 
up  some  way  to  get  your  gun,  and  as  soon  as 
it  grows  dark,  we'll  slip  out  and  start  for 
Franklin,  where  we  will  board  the  first  western- 
bound  train.  If  we  get  on  the  cars  at  this  sta- 


PLANS   AND   ARRANGEMENTS.  281 

tion,  we  will  run  the  risk  of  being  seen  by  a 
dozen  people  who  will  recognize  us.  We  can't 
help  taking  some  chances,  and  if  you  are 
afraid  to  do  it,  you  can  stay  here  and  welcome. 
I  am  off  to-night." 

Frank  talked  rapidly,  for  time  was  precious. 
AVhen  he  ceased  speaking  Leon  opened  the 
door  with  an  air  of  dogged  resolution,  and 
went  downstairs. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

LEON  DRAWS   HIS   MONEY. 

"TpRANK  was  by  no  means  so  much  at  his 
-L  ease  as  he  appeared  to  be.  He  knew  as 
well  as  Leon  did  that  they  were  playing  an 
extremely  hazardous  game,  and  the  fear  that 
their  plans  might  be  defeated  made  him  so 
nervous  that  he  could  not  keep  still  to  save 
his  life. 

He  paced  restlessly  up  ,and  down  the  room, 
awaiting  his  cousin's  return  with  no  little  im- 
patience. 

Leon  was  gone  a  long  time — so  long  that 
Frank  began  to  be  alarmed.  He  was  on  the 
point  of  going  in  search  of  him,  when  he  heard 
his  step  on  the  stairs. 

A  moment  thereafter  the  door  opened  and 
Leon  came  in.  His  face  was  as  white  as  a 
sheet,  and  his  hands  trembled  as  though  he 
had  been  seized  with  an  attack  of  the  ague. 

"Well?"  said  Frank. 


LEON   DRAWS   HIS   MONEY.  283 

"I've  got  it,"  replied  Leon,  in  a  scarcely 
audible  whisper,  "  and  I  came  near  being 
caught  in  the  act,  too.  I  had  to  wait  until 
mother  went  into  the  kitchen ;  then  I  slipped 
into  the  bedroom,  and  had  just  taken  the  book 
out  of  the  drawer  when  I  heard  her  coming 
back.  I  tell  you,  I  thought  I  should  drop 
when  she  asked  me  what  I  was  doing  in  there, 
and  what  made  my  face  so  pale.  Whew!'' 
added  Leon,  drawing  his  hand  across  his 
forehead.  "It  was  a  close  call.  I  don't 
know  how  I  shall  manage  to  get  that 
gun." 

"Don't  worry  over  it,"  answered  Frank, 
who  knew  that  everything  depended  upon 
keeping  up  his  cousin's  courage-.  "We  can 
think  about  it  when  the  time  comes  to  secure 
the  gun.  If  I  see  a  chance,  Til  get  it  for  you 
myself." 

The  two  boys  were  now  anxious  to  leave  the 
house  with  the  least  possible  delajT.  They 
seemed  to  think  that  as  long  as  they  remained 
there  they  were  in  danger  of  being  found  out. 

They  hurried  off  to  school  as  soon  as  they 
could  find  their  caps,  and  during  the  whole 


284      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

of  that  forenoon  lived  in  a  state  of  excitement 
and  fear  that  can  hardly  be  described. 

Leon's  bank-book  felt  as  heavy  as  lead  in 
his  pocket.  Of  course  he  felt  guilty,  and  it 
seemed  to  him  that  the  students  sitting  in  his 
immediate  vicinity  stared  at  him  a  good  deal, 
and  with  an  expression  on  their  faces  which 
seemed  to  say  that  they  knew  all  about  it. 

More  than  once  Leon  was  on  the  point  of 
backing  squarely  out  and  writing  a  note  on 
his  slate  to  his  cousin,  telling  him  he  would 
not  go  ;  but  every  time  he  resolved  upon  this 
a  neat  little  cabin  in  the  mountains,  with  its 
luxurious  beds  of  buffalo  robes,  joints  of  veni- 
son and  bear-meat  hanging  from  the  rafters, 
and  a  couple  of  fleet  Indian  ponies  feeding  iii 
the  glade  close  by,  would  rise  before  his  men- 
tal vision,  and  Leon  would  tell  himself  that  it 
was  worth  while  to  run  some  risk,  if,  by  so 
doing,  he  could  live  in  that  way. 

Then  there  was  his  unhappy  home — Leon 
did  not  consider  that  it  was  made  so  by  his 
own  acts ;  the  gloomy  school-room  ;  the  law 
against  going  outside  the  gate  ;  the  prohibi- 
tion that  had  been  laid  upon  his  hunting  for 


LEON   DRAWS   HIS   MONEY.  285 

the  rest  of  the  season — all  these  things  came 
into  his  mind,  and  Leon  would  shut  his  teeth 
hard  and  resolve  again  that  he  would  carry 
out  his  plans,  no  matter  what  happened. 

As  the  hour  of  twelve  drew  near,  Leon  be- 
came as  nervous  and  frightened  as  he  was 
when  he  stole  the  bank-book  in  the  morning. 
The  money  must  be  drawn  from  the  bank, 
and  it  must  be  drawn,  too,  before  one  o'clock, 
or  not  at  all  that  day. 

It  would  be  dangerous  to  postpone  this  im- 
portant matter,  for  his  parents  might  discover 
that  the  book  was  gone  from  the  drawer,  and 
that  would  lead  to  an  investigation.  The 
sooner  their  plans  were  carried  into  execution, 
and  they  were  safe  out  of  town,  the  better  it 
would  be  for  them. 

When  school  was  dismissed,  the  two  boys 
hurried  down  the  street,  keeping  a  good  look- 
out on  every  side  for  Leon's  father.  The 
lawyer's  office  was  over  the  bank,  and  they 
did  not  want  to  go  in  there  after  the  money 
until  they  had  satisfied  themselves  that  he 
had  gone  home  to  his  dinner. 

Mr.  Parker  had  a  good  deal  of  business  to 


286      TWO   AVAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    HUXTEK. 

do  with  the  bcink,  and  what  if  he  should 
happen  to  drop  in  just  as  the  cashier  was 
handing  out  Leon's  six  hundred  dollars  !  The 
bare  thought  was  enough  to  frighten  them, 
and  they  were  very  cautious  in  their  move- 
ments. 

They  did  not  see  Mr.  Parker's  carriage 
when  they  reached  Main  Street,  but  they 
thought  it  best  to  reconnoitre  before  entering 
the  bank,  so  they  kept  on  down  the  street, 
and  when  they  passed  the  stairs  leading  to 
Mr.  Parker's  office,  they  glanced  into  the  hall 
and  saw  him  standing  there,  conversing  with  a 
couple  of  gentlemen. 

"  That  knocks  us,"  whispered  Leon.  "  We 
must  give  it  up  for  to-day." 

"No,  sir!"  answered  Frank  emphatically. 
"  You'll  never  make  your  way  in  the  world 
if  you  are  going  to  give  up  as  easy  as  that. 
Let's  go  where  we  can  keep  an  eye  on  him. 
He'll  go  to  his  dinner  pretty  soon." 

As  Frank  spoke,  he  led  the  way  across  the 
street,  and  into  Smith  &  Anderson's  store. 
One  of  the  clerks  came  up  to  serve  them, 
but  Frank  said  they  didn't  want  anything. 


LEON   DRAWS   HIS   MONEY.  287 

"Of  course,  your  father  saw  us  come  in 
here,"  said  he  in  a  whisper  to  Leon,  "and  if 
he  follows  us  to  see  what  we  are  about  we'll 
buy  some  crackers  and  cheese  for  a  lunch." 

But  Mr.  Parker  did  not  follow  them.  The 
boys  had  scarcely  taken  up  their  positions  in 
front  of  the  window,  when  he  came  out  of  the 
hall  and  went  into  the  bank. 

If  Leon  and  his  cousin  had  not  exercised  so 
much  caution,  he  would  certainly  have  caught 
them  there. 

At  the  end  of  ten  minutes,  he  came  out,  and 
walked  briskly  across  the  park  toward  home. 

As  soon  as  he  had  disappeared,  the  boys 
opened  the  door  and  went  out.  They  hurried 
across  to  the  bank,  and  Leon,  with  a  trembling 
hand,  placed  his  book  upon  the  glass  shelf  in 
front  of  the  cashier's  desk. 

"How  much  do  you  want  to-day,  Leonl" 
asked  that  officer. 

"I  want  all  of  it,  sir,"  was  the  reply. 

"  All  of  it !  "  repeated  the  cashier. 

The  words  were  uttered  in  a  tone  of  surprise, 
and  Leon  almost  expected  that  the  man  would 
tell  him  he  could  not  pay  out  so  large  a  sum 


288      TWO   WAYS   OF  BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

of  money  until  he  knew  what  it  was  to  be  used 
for  ;  but  he  did  nothing  of  the  kind. 

He  knew  that  the  boy  had  been  allowed  by 
his  indulgent  father  to  manage  his  bank  ac- 
count to  suit  himself,  and  he  had  no  comments 
to  make. 

He  consulted  a  huge  ledger  that  lay  on  one 
of  the  desks,  made  some  figures  with  a  pencil 
in  Leon's  book,  and  then  he  came  back  and 
began  counting  out  the  money. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  the  boys  paced 
back  and  forth  in  front:  of  the  desk,  and  cast 
frequent  and  anxious  glances  toward  the  door, 
fearing  that  somebody  might  come  in. 

But  luck  was  on  their  side,  and  their  fears 
were  not  realized. 

The  cashier  was  a  long  time  in  counting  out 
the  money,  but  finally  he  completed  his  task, 
and  handed  out  to  Leon  a  pile  of  bills  that 
made  him  and  Frank  open  their  eyes  in  the 
greatest  amazement.  It  was  so  large  that 
when  Leon  rolled  it  up  he  could  hardly  get  it 
into  his  pocket. 

"My  gracious!"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  and 
Frank  hurried  out,  and  bent  their  steps  toward 


LEON   DKAWS   HIS   MONEY.  289 

tlie  school-house  ;  "  I  had  no  idea  that  I  owned 
so  much  cash." 

"  Six  hundred  dollars  is  a  nice  little  amount 
of  money,"  answered  Frank,  "and  you  must 
have  a  tidy  sum  there  for  interest.  I  tell  you, 
Leon,  that  will  set  us  up  in  good  shape.  It 
will  buy  us  a  splendid  outfit,  and  keep  us  in 
provisions  until  we  can  capture  furs  enough 
to  get  more.  We  have  taken  two  dangerous 
steps,  and  there  are  only  two  left." 

"  What  are  they?  "  asked  Leon. 

"  Stealing  your  gun  out  of  that  bookcase  is 
one,  and  leaving  the  house  with  our  baggage 
is  the  other.  If  we  can  take  those  two  steps 
without  being  caught,  we  can  breathe  easy, 
for  we  shall  have  nothing  but  plain  sailing 
before  us." 

It  turned  out  that  Frank  was  anything  but 
a  good  prophet.  Circumstances  rendered  it 
comparatively  easy  for  them  to  secure  the  gun 
and  leave  the  house,  but  they  did  not  after- 
ward have  plain  sailing. 

It  was  but  a  short  time  after  that  that  the 
trouble  began. 


19 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE   RUNAWAYS. 

DURING  the  afternoon  Leon  was  so  nerv- 
ous and  uneasy  that  he  could  scarcely 
keep  his  seat. 

There  were  two  ways  now  in  which  he  could 
be  detected.  His  mother  might  go  to  the 
bureau-drawer  and  find  that  the  bank-book 
was  missing,  or  the  cashier  might  casually  ask 
Mr.  Parker,  if  the  latter  had  occasion  to  enter 
the  bank,  if  his  son  had  an  idea  of  going  into 
business. 

A  question  like  that  would,  of  course,  ex- 
cite the  lawyer's  curiosity,  and  might  lead  to 
inquiries  on  his  part  that  would  bring  the 
whole  plot  to  light. 

It  was  only  by  neglecting  his  books  entirely, 
and  dwelling  upon  the  joys  of  a  hunter's  life, 
that  Leon  could  keep  up  his  courage. 

He  failed  completely  in  every  one  of  his 
recitations,  and  his  teacher,  losing  all  patience 

290 


THE    RUNAWAYS.  291 

at  last,  informed  him  that  if  those  lessons 
were  not  full}'  mastered  by  the  next  time  he 
came  into  the  class-room,  he  would  have  the 
privilege  of  studying  them  after  school. 

"Not  much  I  won't  study  those  lessons 
after  school !  "  said  Leon  to  himself,  as  .he  re- 
turned to  his  seat.  "  I  have  been  kept  as  a 
delinquent  for  the  last  time.  I  hope  that  after 
to-day  I  shall  never  see  a  school-book." 

When  the  cousins  started  for  home  that 
night,  the  fears  that  had  haunted  them  all  the 
day  long  increased  tenfold. 

Leon  did  not  want  to  face  his  father  and 
mother  after  what  he  had  done,  and  he  took 
good  care  to  keep  out  of  their  way  until  sup- 
per-time. 

It  was  a  wonder  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker 
did  not  suspect  the  boys  of  some  wrong-doing, 
for  their  agitation,  when  they  came  down- 
stairs in  response  to  the  call  of  the  bell,  was 
almost  too  palpable  to  escape  notice. 

They  arose  from  the  table  after  making  a 
very  light  supper,  and  started  for  their  room. 

That  was  the  last  time  Leon  expected  to  see 
his  father  and  mother  that  night,  and  perhaps 


292      TWO    WATS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUNTKR. 

forever  ;  and  he  was  already  telling  himself 
that  all  danger  of  discovery  was  past,  when 
his  father  sudden!)*  called  to  him. 

The  boy's  heart  almost  came  up  into  his 
mouth  as  he  turned  about  and  went  back  into 
the  dining  room. 

"Why,  Leon!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Parker, 
now  for  the  first  time  noticing  the  boy's  pale 
face  and  trembling  hands,  "  what  is  the  mat- 
ter with  you  ?  Are  you  ill  ? " 

"No,  sir,"  stammered  Leon;  "I  am  not 
sick,  but  I  haven't  felt  like  myself  to-day. 
And  that  is  the  honest  truth,"  he  added 
mentally.  "I  have  been  so  upset  by  excite- 
ment and  suspense  that  I  have  scarcely  real- 
ized what  was  going  on  around  me.  I  couldn'  t 
stand  another  day  like  this." 

"I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,"  said  Mr.  Parker. 
"  I  wish  you  had  spoken  of  it  this  morning. 
I  don't  want  you  to  go  to  school  if  you  don't 
feel  well,  for  of  course  you  can't  study. 
Would  you  like  to  go  to  the  concert  with  us 
to-night?" 

"No,  I  thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Leon.  "I 
would  rather  stay  at  home." 


THE   RUNAWAYS.  293 

"  Well,  ask  Frank  if  he  wants  to  go.  I 
have  tickets  and  seats  for  all  of  us." 

Leon  went  out  again,  but  instead  of  going 
toward  the  hall,  he  turned  into  the  sitting 
room.  The  door  of  the  library  was  open,  and 
Leon  paused  in  front  of  it  just  long  enough  to 
take  one  look  at  the  bookcase.  Then  he  went 
up  to  his  room,  where  he  found  Frank  pacing 
back  and  forth  in  a  state  of  great  excitement. 
He  was  afraid  that  everything  had  been  dis- 
covered, but  one  glance  at  his  cousin's  face 
reassured  him. 

"What  did  your  father  say  to  you?"  he 
inquired,  as  soon  as  Leon  had  closed  the 
door. 

"  He  asked  me  if  I  was  sick.  My  gracious  ! 
my  face  is  white,  isn't  it?"  said  Leon,  as  he 
glanced  into  the  mirror  ;  "and  wanted  to  know 
if  I  felt  like  going  to  the  concert  to-night.  I 
replied  that  I  would  rather  stay  at  home,  and 
he  told  me  to  ask  if  you  would  like  to  go." 

"Good!"  exclaimed  Frank,  bringing  his 
hands  together  with  aloud  slap.  "  As  soon  as 
they  start,  we'll  start !" 

"I  looked  into  the  library  before  I  came 


294       TWO    WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

up,"  continued  Leon,  "and  I  saw  that  the  key 
of  the  bookcase  is  in  one  of  the  doors." 

"Isn't  that  lucky?"  cried  Frank,  who  was 
almost  ready  to  dance  with  delight.  "  Every- 
thing seems  to  be  working  in  our  favor.  Xow, 
in  order  to  save  time,  we  had  better  pack  our 
valises." 

The  manner  in  which  the  two  boys  went  at 
this  work  showed  that  they  were  in  earnest 
about  it,  and  that  neither  of  them  had  the  least 
idea  of  backing  out. 

They  had  already  selected  the  clothing  they 
intended  to  take  with  them,  and  in  half  an 
hour  after  that  the  valises  were  packed  and 
placed  in  the  closet  out  of  sight. 

This  done,  the  boys  sat  down  to  talk  about 
the  glorious  life  upon  which  they  were  so  soon 
to  enter,  and  to  wait  until  the  time  came  to 
leave  the  house,  which  would  be  when  Leon's 
father  and  mother  had  started  for  the  con- 
cert. 

Darkness  came  on  apace,  and  presently  the 
boys  heard  Mr.  Parker  calling  from  the  foot  of 
the  stairs,  whereupon  Leon  went  out  into  the 
hall  and  looked  over  the  balusters. 


THE   RUNAWAYS. 

"Does  Frank  want  to  go  with  us?"  asked 
the  lawyer. 

"No,  sir,"  shouted  Frank,  from  his  seat  in 
the  window.  "  I'll  stay  with  Leon." 

"  Very  well.  Now,  Leon,  don't  go  away  to- 
night." 

The  boy  made  no  reply. 

"Do  you  understand  me?"  asked  his 
father. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Leon. 

Mr.  Parker,  being  satisfied  with  the  an- 
swer, followed  his  wife  out  of  the  front 
door,  and  the  boys  stood  at  the  window 
and  saw  them  go  out  of  the  gate  and  turn 
down  the  street. 

When  they  were  out  of  sight,  Leon  sprang 
into  the  middle  of  the  room  and  made  an  awk- 
ward attempt  to  dance  a  hornpipe. 

"I  didn't  promise  him  that  I  wouldn't  go 
away  to-night,  did  I?"  said  he  gleefully.  "I 
simply  told  him  that  I  understood  his  order. 
If  he  thinks  that  a  boy  of  my  age  is  going  to 
be  confined  in  a  gloomy  school-room  all  day, 
and  then  shut  up  in  the  yard  at  night,  as  if  he 
were  an  unruly  dog,  he  will  find  he  has  made 


296       TWO   WATS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

a  big  mistake.  Now,  I'll  go  down  and  get  my 
gun  the  first  thing  I  do." 

"Don't  be  in  a  hurry,"  said  the  cautions 
Frank.  "Something  might  happen  to  bring 
your  father  back  here,  and  if  he  should  chance 
to  go  to  that  drawer,  our  cake  would  be  all 
dough.  Don't  touch  the  gun  until  we  are 
ready  to  start.  It  would  never  do  for  us  to  be 
caught  now,  after  we  have  carried  out  all  our 
plans  so  nicely." 

"  Shall  we  leave  a  note,  telling  them  why  we 
ran  away  ?  "  asked  Leon. 

"No,  sir.  If  they  are  anxious  to  know,  all 
they  have  to  do  is  to  think  of  the  manner  in 
which  they  have  treated  us.  I  wish  it  would 
hurry  up  and  grow  dark." 

The  impatient  boys  spent  another  half-hour 
in  walking  up  and  down  their  room,  and  then 
Leon  declared  he  would  wait  no  longer. 

At  his  suggestion,  Frank  went  out  to  the 
gate  to  reconnoitre,  and  when  he  had  satisfied 
himself  that  the  coast  was  clear,  and  that 
there  was  no  danger  of  interruption,  he  an- 
nounced the  fact  by  a  shrill  whistle  and 
walked  slowlv  toward  the  house.  When  he 


THE   RUNAWAYS.  297 

entered  the  hall,  Leon  was  ascending  the 
stairs,  with  his  recovered  gun  in  his  hands. 

"I  feel  as  though  I  had  found  a  long-lost 
friend,"  sidd  he,  as  he  flourished  the  weapon 
over  his  head.  "  There'll  be  some  astonished 
people  in  this  house  to-morrow." 

The  boys  went  back  to  their  room,  and  when 
Leon's  gun  had  been  placed  in  its  case,  and 
the  powder-flask  and  shot-pouch  belonging  to 
it  had  been  packed  away  in  one  of  the  valises, 
they  picked  up  their  baggage,  took  their 
weapons  under  their  arms,  and  went  down  the 
stairs. 

They  paused  a  moment  on  the  threshold  of 
the  front  door  to  make  sure  that  there  was  no 
one  passing  along  the  street,  and  then,  with- 
out a  single  feeling  of  regret,  they  turned 
their  backs  iipon  their  home  and  upon  the 
friends  they  never  expected  or  even  wished 
to  see  again,  and  hurried  away. 

The  little  town  of  Franklin,  toward  which 
they  bent  their  steps,  was  situated  on  the 
railroad,  seven  miles  west  of  Eaton.  It  was 
there  that  they  intended  to  purchase  tickets 
and  board  the  cars.  By  this  piece  of  strategy 


298       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

they  hoped  to  avoid  meeting  anybody  who 
might  recognize  them. 

The  platform  of  the  depot  in  Eaton  was 
always  crowded  at  "train  time,"  and  if  they 
had  been  seen  loitering  about  there  with  their 
guns  and  valises  in  their  hands,  they  might 
have  been  asked  some  questions  that  they 
did  not  care  to  answer. 

Leon  led  the  way,  avoiding  the  principal 
streets  as  much  as  he  could,  and  at  the  end  of 
an  hour  the  runaways  struck  the  main  road, 
about  two  miles  above  the  village. 

Settling  down  into  a  steady  walk,  they 
moved  briskly  along  toward  Franklin,  but 
before  they  had  gone  many  rods  they  heard  a 
wagon  coming  up  behind  them. 

"Let's  wait  and  ask  him  to  give  us  a  ride," 
said  Frank.  "  He  is  going  our  way." 

"Not  by  a  long  shot,"  answered  Leon 
quickly.  "I  am  acquainted  with  almost 
everybody  about  here,  and  I  won't  take  the 
risk.  This  man  might  know  me.  Let's  hide 
and  wait  until  he  goes  by." 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Leon  sprang 
into  the  bushes  that  lined  the  nearest  fence 


THE   RUNAWAYS.  299 

and  crouched  down  among  them,  his  example 
being  promptly  followed  by  his  cousin. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  wagon  came  up  and 
passed  their  hiding-place,  but  not  so  the  dog 
which  trotted  along  a  little  distance  in  the 
rear,  industriously  exploring  the  bushes  on 
each  side  of  the  road. 

His  sharp  nose  quickly  revealed  to  him  the 
presence  of  the  runaways,  and,  bounding  to- 
ward the  thicket  in  which  they  were  concealed, 
he  set  up  a  terrific  yelping. 

"  Get  out  there  !  "  said  Frank,  in  a  savage 
whisper,  lifting  his  rifle  above  his  head. 

The  dog  saw  the  motion  and  beat  a  hasty  re- 
treat ;  but  he  went  no  farther  than  the  middle 
of  the  road,  where  he  stopped  and  barked 
furiously. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    PRAIRIE    HOTEL. 

NOCK  him  down  with,  something,"  whis- 
I  \.  pered  Leon,  in  great  excitement,  as  he 
searched  frantically  about  on  the  ground  for 
some  missile  to  throw  at  the  dog. 

"  Let's  go  out  on  the  road,"  suggested  Frank. 
"  He'll  leave  if  we  start  toward  him." 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  don't  want  that  man  to  see  us, 
for  I  don't  know  who  he  is." 

"  Well,  he'll  certainly  see  us  if  we  allow  this 
miserable  cur  to  stay  here  and  bark  at  us," 
returned  Frank.  "  The  first  thing  you  know, 
his  master  will  be  back  here  to  see  what  is  up, 

and  we'll  be I  declare  !  there  he  comes 

now." 

Leon  looked  over  the  bushes  and  trembled  in 
every  limb  when  he  saw  the  owner  of  the  dog 
approaching. 

He  stopped  by  the  side  of  the  road,  picked 
up  a  formidable-looking  club,  and  after  trying 

300 


THE   PRAIRIE   HOTEL.  301 

its  strength  by  striking  it  on  the  ground,  he 
hurried  toward  the  thicket  in  which  the  run- 
aways were  concealed. 

"Sick  'em,  Maje — sick  'em  !"  he  shouted. 
"  Take  hold  of  'em,  you  rascal !  " 

Thus  encouraged,  the  dog  bounded  into  the 
bushes,  and  in  a  moment  more  would  have 
seized  Frank  by  the  leg,  had  he  not  received  a 
terrific  punch  in  the  ribs  from  Lson's  double- 
barrel. 

That  took  all  the  fight  out  of  him.  With  a 
howl  of  anguish,  he  ran  back  to  the  road  and 
took  refuge  behind  his  master,  who  halted 
very  suddenly. 

He  looked  first  at  the  dog  and  then  at  the 
bushes,  and  finally  he  began  to  back  oft7  toward 
his  wagon. 

It  was  evident  that  he  did  not  think  it  safe 
to  advance  any  nearer  to  the  thicket,  but  he 
seemed  determined  to  find  out  what  it  was 
that  had  taken  refuge  there,  for,  after  he  had 
retreated  a  short  distance,  he  stopped  and 
began  swinging  his  club  around  his  head. 

In  a  moment  more  it  would  have  been  sent 
crashing  into  the  fence  corner,  had  not 


302      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    IIUXTE1S. 

Frank,  who  could  plainly  see  the  motion, 
called  out : 

"  What  are  you  about  there  ?" 

"  Good  land  o'  Goshen  !  "  exclaimed  the 
man,  lowering  the  threatening  bludgeon. 
"  Who  be  you,  and  what  did  you  crawl  in 
there  for?" 

"  No\v  you've  done  it,"  whispered  Leon 
in  great  alarm.  "That's  Mr.  Jenkins — the 
fanner  who  supplies  us  with  wood.  I  know 
his  voice." 

"I'll  talk  to  him,"  whispered  Frank,  in 
reply.  "  You  stay  here,  and  when  you  hear 
me  whistle,  come  out  and  bring  my  gun  with 

you." 

As  he  said  this,  he  placed  his  rifle  in  his 
cousin's  hand,  picked  up  his  valise,  and  walked 
out  into  the  road. 

The  dog  showed  a  disposition  to  be  belig- 
erent  when  he  came  in  sight,  but  a  few  words 
from  his  master,  accompanied  by  a  flourish  of 
the  club,  put  a  stop  to  his  demonstrations. 

"It's  a  pity  that  a  fellow  can't  step  aside 
to  rest  for  a  moment  without  having  a  dog 
set  on  him  !  "  exclaimed  Frank.  "  Is  that 


THE   PRAIRIE   HOTEL.  303 

the  way  you  generally  treat  people  in  this 
country  ?  " 

"  I  declare  to  man,  I  didn't  know  it  was  a 
boy  that  was  hid  in  them  bushes,"  said  the 
farmer  apologetically.  "  I  reckoned  inebbe 
it  was  some  kind  of  a  varmint,  'cause  Maje 
kicked  up  such  a  row.  Goin'  my  way  ?  Jump 
in,  and  I'll  give  you  a  lift.'' 

'•  I  am  obliged  to  you,  but  I  would  rather 
walk." 

''You  can  ride  just  as  well  as  not,"  urged 
the  farmer.  "  I  aint  got  no  load." 

"  Thank  you  !  I  don't  care  to  ride,"  replied 
Frank,  rather  impatiently.  "  I  am  in  no 
hurry." 

The  man  lingered  as  if  he  wanted  to  say 
something  else,  but  finally  turned  and  went 
back  to  his  wagon,  followed  by  Maje,  who 
looked  over  his  shoulder  and  growled  savagely 
at  Frank,  by  way  of  bidding  him  good-night. 

Presently  the  sound  of  wheels  on  the  hard 
road  told  Frank  that  the  farmer's  wagon  was 
in  motion. 

He  waited  until  the  sound  grew  faint  in  the 
distance,  and  after  looking  up  and  down  the 


304      TWO    WAYS  OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

road  to  make  sure  that  there  was  no  one  else 
coming,  uttered  a  low  whistle. 

In  a  few  minutes  Leon  came  up,  and  the  two 
resumed  their  walk  toward  Franklin.  This 
was  the  first  and  last  adventure  that  befell  the 
boys  during  their  journey  to  the  frontier. 

They  reached  the  town  of  Franklin  in  a  lit- 
tle less  than  two  hours,  and  there  they  pur- 
chased tickets  for  Albany,  at  which  place — so 
they  were  told — they  could  procure  through 
tickets  to  St.  Louis. 

The  train  arrived  an  hour  later,  and  in  five 
minutes  more  the  runaways  were  being  carried 
rapidly  toward  the  happy  hunting-grounds  of 
which  they  had  so  often  dreamed. 

When  they  arrived  at  St.  Louis,  they 
boarded  a  steamer  which  carried  them  up 
the  Missouri  River,  and  in  due  time  they 
found  themselves,  with  their  valises  in  their 
hands  and  their  guns  on  their  shoulders, 
standing  on  the  levee  at  St.  Joseph,  at  which 
point  they  had  decided  to  fit  out  for  the 
plains. 

Had  they  enjoyed  themselves  during  their 
trip  ?  Certainly  not.  No  one  could  take 


TUP:  PRAIRIE  HOTEL.  305 

pleasure  in  a  railroad  or  steamboat  ride  under 
such  circumstances. 

One  strange  thing  we  have  to  record  here  is 
that  Frank  was  no  longer  the  leader. 

Being  a  city  bo}r,  he  knew  more  about  the 
ways  of  the  world  than  his  country  cousin, 
and  Leon  had  leaned  upon  and  looked  to  him 
for  advice  ;  but  after  they  had  cut  loose  from 
home  and  friends,  and  were  surrounded  by 
strangers,  Frank  began  to  grow  frightened, 
and  lost  a  good  deal  of  his  assurance.  He 
gradually  fell  back  into  the  second  place,  and 
Leon  stepped  to  the  front  and  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  expedition.  He  had  more  pluck 
and  determination  than  his  cousin,  and  now 
these  qualities  began  to  show  themselves. 

The  boys  stopped  on  the  levee,  and  gazed 
about  them  with  the  greatest  interest. 

St.  Joe  did  not  look  much  like  Eaton.  It 
was  a  frontier  town  at  the  time  of  which  we 
write,  and  everything  was  new  and  strange  to 
the  runaways. 

Canvas-covered  wagons,  such  as  emigrants 
use,  were  constantly  passing  ;  bearded  men, 
20 


306      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A    HUXTER. 

in  red  shirts  and  high-top  boots,  were  loung- 
ing about,  and  now  and  then  an  Indian, 
wrapped  up  to  the  chin  in  his  blanket,  would 
walk  by  with  dignified  step. 

"Well,  here  we  are,"  said  Leon  at  length, 
"and  I  must  confess  that  things  don't  look 
just  as  I  thought  they  would." 

"No,  they  don't ;  and  I  wish  to  goodness 
that  we  were  safe  at  home  again,"  said  Frank, 
giving  utterance  to  the  thought  that  had 
passed  through  his  mind  a  score  of  times  since 
he  left  Eaton.  "  I  am  afraid  we  can't  make  a 
success  of  it." 

"It  is  too  late  to  talk  that  way,"  said  his 
cousin.  "You  know  that  we  discussed  the 
matter  thoroughly  before  we  started,  and 
made  up  our  minds  that  we  could  face  any- 
thing that  came  in  our  way." 

"  But  I  didn't  know  that  frontiersmen  were 
such  rough  fellows.  Just  look  at  these  men 
standing  around.  Their  appearance  is  enough 
to  frighten  one." 

"  If  you  are  so  easily  frightened,  what  will 
you  do  when  we  get  out  to  the  mountains?" 
asked  Leon. 


THE   PRAIRIE   HOTEL.  307 

Frank  made  no  audible  reply,  but  to  him- 
self he  said : 

"I  don't  intend  to  go  to  the  mountains.  I 
am  just  as  far  from  home  already  as  I  want 
to  be." 

"Our  first  hard  work  must  be  to  hunt  up 
a  hotel,"  continued  Leon;  "and  our  next,  to 
find  some  experienced  man  who  is  good- 
natured  enough  to  give  us  some  advice." 

The  boys  walked  up  the  levee  and  turned 
into  the  first  street  that  they  found,  and 
which  proved  to  be  the  principal  thorough- 
fare. 

As  they  strolled  slowly  along,  their  atten- 
tion was  frequently  attracted  by  such  notices 
as  these,  which  were  posted  in  some  of  the 
store-windows  : 


Parties  fitted  out  for  the  plains. 
HUNTERS',  TRAPPERS',  AND  MINERS'  SUPPLIES. 


They  lingered  long  in  front  of  these  win- 
dows, and  Leon's  enthusiasm  over  the  rifles, 
hunting-knives,  and  revolvers  that  were  there 
displayed  was  so  contagious  that  Frank  forgot 


308      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

his  homesickness  and  began  to  take  a  little 
more  interest  in  things. 

"Here's  the  place  we're  looking  for!"  ex- 
claimed Leon  at  length. 

As  he  spoke,  he  pointed  to  a  sign  that  hung 
over  the  sidewalk. 

Frank  looked,  and  saw  that  it  bore  the 
words  : 


PRAIRIE   HOTEL. 


"Of  course,  all  the  plainsmen  must  stop 
here,"  continued  Leon.  "  We'll  hang  around 
for  a  day  or  two  until  we  make  the  acquaint- 
ance of  some  of  them,  and  perhaps  they  will 
tell  us  all  we  want  to  know.  Let's  go  in." 

Frank  followed  his  cousin  through  the  door, 
and  found  himself  in  the  principal  room  of  the 
hotel,  which  did  duty  as  a  parlor,  office,  and 
bar. 

Every  chair  and  bench  was  occupied,  and 
there  was  a  crowd  of  men  about  the  counter 
who  were  talking  loudly. 

They  were  all  rough-looking  fellows,  and 
Frank  trembled  when  he  saw  that  some  of 


THE   PRAIRIE   HOTEL.  309 

them  wore  revolvers  and  knives  strapped  about 
their  waists. 

These  were  mainly  gold-hunters,  who  had 
just  returned  from  the  mountains.  They  had 
become  so  accustomed  to  wearing  their 
weapons  while  they  were  in  the  mines  that 
they  did  not  think  to  take  them  off,  even 
though  they  were  among  civilized  people. 

The  room  was  dingy  and  smoky,  and  re- 
minded Frank  of  the  sailors'  boarding-houses 
into  which  he  had  often  glanced  as  he  passed 
along  the  wharves  of  Boston. 

The  boys'  first  impulse,  after  they  had  run 
their  eyes  about  the  apartment  and  taken  a 
good  look  at  its  occupants,  was  to  open  the 
door  and  go  out  again  ;  but,  before  they  could 
act  upon  it,  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel,  who 
had  seen  them  enter,  came  briskly  out  from 
behind  the  bar  and  approached  them. 

He  was  as  roughly  dressed  as  any  of  his 
guests,  and  looked  so  fierce  that,  when  he 
reached  out  his  hand  for  Leon's  valise,  the  boy 
surrendered  it  at  once. 

"  Can  I  do  anything  for  you  ? "  said  he. 

Leon  did  not  think  it  would  be  safe  to  tell 


310       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

the  man  that  he  had  concluded  to  look  further 
for  lodgings,  so  he  asked,  in  reply  : 

"  Can  we  stay  here  for  a  day  or  two  ? " 

"You're  mighty  right,"  was  the  answer. 
"You're  not  from  the  plains ? " 

"No,  sir  ;  but  we're  going  there." 

"  Then  this  is  just  the  place  for  you.  Some 
of  the  boys" — here  the  proprietor  jerked  his 
head  toward  the  men  standing  before  the  bar — 
"are  getting  ready  to  start,  and  you  can  go 
with  them." 

The  host  deposited  Leon's  baggage  behind 
the  bar,  and  when  he  came  back  after  Frank's 
gun  and  valise,  the  latter  said  : 

"  Can't  you  show  us  to  our  room,  and  take 
our  luggage  up  there  ? " 

"I  can  ;  but  there's  all  sorts  of  fellows  stop 
here,  and  you  had  better  let  me  take  care  of 
your  things.  I'll  be  responsible  for  them." 

"But  we  would  like  to  perform  our  ablu- 
tions," said  Frank. 

"Which  ?"  exclaimed  the  host. 

"We  want  a  good  wash,"  explained  Leon. 

"Oh!  Why  didn't  you  say  so?  There  is 
the  sink,  and  plenty  of  towels  and  soap,"  said 


THE   PRAIRIE   HOTEL.  311 

the  man,  nodding  his  head  toward  a  corner  of 
the  room.  "Pitch  in  as  soon  as  you  please." 
With  this  remark,  the  proprietor — as  if  lie 
considered  that  he  had  done  his  full  duty  to- 
ward his  new  guests — returned  to  his  place  be- 
hind the  bar. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A   FRIENDLY   IIUNTEK. 

THE  boys  walked  up  to  the  sink  and  took 
a  survey  of  it.  It  contained  two  tin 
basins.  Several  pieces  of  hard  sonp  were  de- 
posited upon  a  little  shelf  over  it,  and  the 
towels  looked  as  though  they  had  done  service 
for  weeks. 

"I  have  been  used  to  better  things  than 
these,"  said  Frank,  who  could  hardly  bring 
himself  to  touch  one  of  the  dingy  basins. 

"  So  have  I,"  answered  Leon  ;  "  but  what's 
the  good  of  growling  ?  When  you  get  out  to 
the  mountains  you'll  have  to  wash  your  hands 
and  face  in  a  brook,  and  dry  them  upon  a 
l>iece  of  buckskin.  We've  got  to  rough  it — 
that's  what  we  came  out  here  for — and  we 
might  as  well  begin  now  as  a  month  later. 
We'll  get  used  to  it  by  the  time  we  are  settled 
as  hunters." 

Frank  told  himself,  very  emphatically,  that 
aia 


A   FRIEXDLY   HUNTER.  313 

he  never  would  be  settled  as  a  hunter.  He 
was  heartily  tired  of  roughing  it  already  and 
would  have  been  glad  to  start  for  home  long 
ago;  but  he  knew  by  the  way  his  cousin  talked 
and  acted  that  it  would  be  of  no  use  to  propose 
such  a  thing  ;  so,  after  a  good  deal  of  thinking, 
he  had  determined  upon  a  course  of  action 
that  was  mean  and  cowardly  in  the  extreme. 
He  only  waited  for  a  favorable  opportunity  to 
carry  his  plans  into  execution. 

After  washing  their  hands  and  faces,  and 
drying  them  upon  the  cleanest  part  of  the  long- 
used  towels,  the  boys  looked  around  until  they 
found  a  couple  of  chairs  that  had  just  been 
vacated,  and  sat  down  to  listen  to  the  conver- 
sation of  the  miners,  who  had  by  this  time 
drawn  away  from  the  bar,  and  were  now  seated 
around  the  stove,  talking  over  their  experi- 
ence. 

They  talked  principally  about  gold-hunting, 
but  presently  one  of  them  launched  out  into  a 
narrative  that  held  his  listeners  spellbound. 

It  was  about  a  fight  he  and  his  comrades  had 
with  a  war  party  of  Cheyennes  who  drove  them 
away  from  their  diggings. 


314      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

This  set  the  others  going  on  the  same  subject, 
and  from  that  hour  until  supper  was  announced 
the  boys  listened  to  stories  of  adventure  and 
hair-breadth  escapes  from  wild  animals  and 
Indians  that  were  enough  to  frighten  anyone. 

For  the  first  time  since  leaving  home,  Leon 
told  himself  that  perhaps  he  had  mistaken  his 
calling. 

If  tall,  broad-shouldered,  powerful-looking 
men  like  these  could  be  driven  about  like  sheep 
by  the  wild  inhabitants  of  the  mountains  and 
plains,  what  could  a  boy  like  himself  do  in 
combat  with  them  ? 

As  for  Frank,  the  last  particle  of  his  courage 
oozed  out  at  the  ends  of  his  fingers,  and  he  was 
all  the  more  determined  to  carry  out  the  plans 
he  had  already  formed. 

He  found  that  he  had  entertained  very  erro- 
neous opinions  regarding  frontier  life. 

The  heroes  of  his  favorite  books  could  not 
only  whip  a  dozen  Indians  very  easily,  and 
come  off  without  a  scratch,  but  they  could  go 
alone  into  a  hostile  camp  and  rescue  a  "part- 
ner" who  had  been  captured  by  them. 

Here  were  men,  however — live  men,  too — 


A    FRIENDLY    HUNTER.  315 

vrho  were  willing  to  acknowledge  that  they 
had  been  whipped,  that  they  had  seen  quite 
enough  of  savage  life,  and  that  they  would  be 
glad  to  reach  home,  where  they  could  live  hi 
peace. 

"Leon,"  said  Frank  suddenly,  "don't  you 
think  you  had  better  give  me  half  the  money 
you've  got  left?  You  pay  all  the  bills,  and 
that  looks  as  though  I  was  sponging  on  you." 

"Never  mind  that,"  was  the  reply.  "It's 
all  in  the  family." 

"But  what  if  somebody  should  go  through 
you?"  urged  Frank.  "I  suppose  there  are 
pickpockets  here,  as  well  as  in  the  cities.  If 
you  lost  your  share,  Fd  have  mine  left  to  fall 
buck  on." 

"But  I  don't  intend  that  anybody  shall 
go  through  me,"  answered  Leon.  "I'll  take 
good  care  of  the  moneys  and  pay  your  bills 
and  mine,  too." 

"  You  had  better  keep  close  watch  over  it," 
said  Frank  to  himself,  "  for,  if  I  once  get  my 
hands  on  it,  I'll  take  enough  of  it  to  see  me 
safely  back  to  Boston,  I  bet  you.  Leon,"  he 
added,  almost  desperately,  "I  am  tired  of 


316      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

tliis  !  Let's  go  back  before  it's  too  late.  We 
must  go  some  time." 

"Ah,  ha!"  exclaimed  liis  cousin.  "That's 
the  reason  you  want  half  the  money,  is  it  ? 
Well,  you  can't  have  it!  It  is  all  very  well 
for  you  to  talk  about  going  home,  for  you  will 
go  straight  to  Boston,  and  none  of  your 
friends  there  will  ever  know  that  you  ran 
away — your  folks,  of  course,  won't  say  any- 
thing about  it.  But  if  I  go  home,  I  must  go 
among  those  who  know  everything.  No,  sir  ! 
I'll  never  see  Eaton  again  until  I  have  made  a 
name  for  myself  !  " 

Frank,  seeing  that  he  had  made  a  mistake, 
tried  to  turn  the  matter  off  with  a  laugh,  and 
hastened  to  assure  his  cousin  that  if  he  was 
still  determined  to  go  through,  he  (Frank) 
would  stand  by  him  through  thick  and 
thin. 

He  hoped  in  this  way  to  throw  Leon  off 
his  guard,  so  that  the  latter  would  relax  his 
vigilance  and  give  him  a  chance  to  steal  what 
was  left  of  the  six  hundred  dollars — for  that 
was  what  he  had  determined  to  do. 

We  may  add  that  he  finally  succeeded  in 


A   FRIEXDLY   HUNTER.  317 

his  object,  and  came  very  near  getting  himself 
into  a  desperate  scrape  by  it. 

When  supper  was  announced,  the  boys 
followed  the  crowd  into  an  adjoining  room, 
and  took  the  seats  that  were  pointed  out  to 
them  by  their  host. 

It  was  not  just  such  an  apartment  as  that  in 
which  they  had  been  accustomed  to  take  their 
meals  at  home.  It  was  almost  as  dingy  as  the 
bar.  The  rough  tables  were  not  very  clean, 
and  the  dishes  and  viands  were  scattered 
about  without  the  least  regard  to  order. 

They  looked,  Leon  told  himself,  as  though 
the  waiter  had  stood  off  and  thrown  them  at 
the  table,  and  left  them  wherever  they  landed. 
But -there  was  plenty  to  eat,  and  the  boys, 
being  very  hungry,  made  a  hearty  supper. 

When  they  had  satisfied  their  appetites, 
they  went  back  to  the  bar-room  and  sat  down 
on  one  of  the  benches,  while  the  gold-hunters 
smoked  their  pipes  and  told  stories  of  life  in 
the  mines. 

When  eight  o'clock  came,  Leon  walked  up 
to  the  bar  and  asked  the  landlord  to  show  him 
and  his  cousin  to  their  room. 


318      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

In  compliance  with  the  request  the  man 
lighted  a  tallow  candle,  and,  leading  the  boys 
up  a  narrow,  winding  stairway,  ushered  them 
into  the  most  cheerless  bedroom  they  had 
ever  seen. 

There  was  no  carpet  on  the  floor,  and  there 
were  no  chairs  on  which  to  deposit  their  cloth- 
ing. In  fact,  the  room  contained  nothing  ex- 
cept a  couple  of  beds,  which  looked  as  though 
the  person  who  made  them  up  must  have  been 
in  a  very  great  hurry. 

"You  two  tumble  into  this  one,"  said  the 
landlord,  placing  the  candle  on  the  floor  and 
nodding  his  head  toward  one  of  the  beds. 
"  You  needn't  mind  locking  your  door,  'cause 
there's  another  fellow  belongs  up  here." 

"  Who  is  he  ? "  asked  Frank. 

"  He's  a  hunter,  and  a  mighty  good  one,  too, 
I  reckon,  for  he  used  to  be  post-hunter  at  Fort 
Laramie." 

"  Is  he  all  right?" 

"/she?"  exclaimed  the  landlord.  "He's 
the  best  fellow  in  the  world  ;  good-natured 
(he  hasn't  had  but  three  fights  since  he's  been 
here),  free-hearted,  and  spends  his  money  like 


A    FRIENDLY   HUNTER.  319 

water.  He  killed  eight  hundred  buffalo  this 
season,  and  he's  going  back  to  kill  some  more. 
You  needn't  mind  putting  out  your  candle, 
'cause  he'll  be  up  directly.  He  always  goes  to 
bed  early  since  he  and  his  money  quit.  Good- 
night!" 

"That's  just  the  man  we  want  to  see,"  ex- 
claimed Leon,  when  the  landlord  had  left  the 
room.  "  He  can  tell  us  everything  we  want  to 
know,  and  if  he  will  let  us,  we  can't  do  better 
than  go  with  him." 

The  boys  had  hardly  got  into  bed  (Leon  took 
the  precaution  to  place  his  trousers,  which 
contained  the  money,  under  his  pillow)  when 
a  heavy  step  sounded  in  the  hall,  the  door 
opened,  and  the  third  occupant  of  the  room 
stalked  in. 

He  was  roughly  dressed,  and  carried  a  knife 
and  revolver  in  his  belt. 

The  runaways,  who  looked  at  him  with 
great  interest,  could  not  see  much  of  his  face, 
for  the  lower  part  of  it  was  concealed  by  thick, 
bushy  whiskers,  which  looked  as  though  they 
had  never  been  combed,  and  his  slouch  hat 
was  drawn  low  over  his  forehead.  There  was 


320      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

something  forbidding  about  him,  but  the  boys 
could  not  have  told  what  it  was. 

"Hallo,  pilgrims!"  said  he,  as  he  placed 
his  hands  on  his  hips  and  looked  down  at  the 
runaways.  "Are  you  the  kids  who  are  going 
out  on  the  plains  !" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Leon. 

"Come  from  the  States,  I  reckon,  didn't 
you  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  and  we're  looking  for  somebody 
who  can  tell  us  just  what  we  ought  to  do. 
AVe're  going  out  to  the  mountains  to  hunt  and 
trap.  Do  you  think  we  can  make  a  living 
at  it?" 

"  Finest  business  in  the  world !  "  was  the  en- 
couraging reply.  "  I  know  lots  of  fellows  who 
are  getting  rich  at  it.  It's  a  trifle  rough  some- 
times if  you  get  into  the  Injuns'  hunting- 
grounds,  but  all  you've  got  to  do  is  to  grab 
your  spelter  and  skip  out." 

"I  understand  that  you  used  to  be  post- 
hunter  at  Fort  Laramie,"  said  Frank. 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  got  kicked  out  'cause  me  and 
the  colonel  couldn't  hitch  bosses,"  replied  the 
man  cheerfully. 


A   FRIENDLY   HUNTER.  321 

If  lie  had  said  that  he  had  been  detected  in 
an  attempt  to  rob  the  sutler's  drawer,  and  had 
been  obliged  to  leave  the  neighborhood  of  the 
fort  in  order  to  escape  arrest,  he  would  have 
been  nearer  the  truth. 

"  Well,  we  are  green "  began  Leon. 

"  Yes  ;  I  knowed  you  were  tenderfeet,"  in- 
terrupted the  hunter. 

"  And  we  want  to  find  somebody  of  experi- 
ence who  will  take  us  in  charge  and  manage 
matters  for  us,"  added  Leon.  "We  don't 
know  what  kind  of  an  outfit  we  want,  or  where 
to  go  to  find  good  hunting-grounds." 

"  Have  you  got  any  money  ?  " 

"Plenty  of  it,"  answered  Leon  readily, 
"more  than  enough  to  foot  all  our —  O 
Frank,  what  do  you  mean?"  he  added,  chang- 
ing his  tone  very  suddenly,  as  his  cousin's 
elbow  was  brought  against  his  side  with 
considerable  force. 

Frank  made  no  reply,  and  the  hunter  pres- 
ently continued : 

"You  don't  want  to  let  anybody  coax  you 
into  spending  much  of  it  for  an  outfit  in  this 
place,  'cause  things  is  so  dear.  All  you  want 

•      21 


322      TWO   WAYS   OF    BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

is  a  lioss,  saddle  and  bridle,  and  a  pair  of  sad- 
dle-bags. In  the  saddle-bags  you  can  carry  a 
little  bacon,  corn-meal,  salt,  pepper,  coffee,  and 
sugar,  too,  if  you  want  it — as  I  reckon  you  do, 
being  tenderfeet.  Anything  else  you  want  to 
eat  you  can  shoot  as  you  go  along.'' 

"  When  do  you  start  for  the  fort?" 

"  To-morrow." 

"Now,  why  won't  you  let  us  go  with  you  ? 
We've  got  money,  and— 

Again  Frank's  elbow  came  in  vigorous  con- 
tact with  his  cousin's  ribs. 

Then  it  began  to  creep  through  Leon's  head 
that  perhaps  he  was  saying  too  much  about 
his  wealth  ;  so  he  resolved  to  take  the  hints 
Frank  had  given  him,  and  drop  the  subject. 

"I'll  take  care  of  you,"  answered  the 
hunter.  "I  was  a  tenderfoot  myself  once, 
and  would  have  been  glad  to  have  somebody 
do  as  much  for  me.'' 

Leon  drew  a  long  breath,  and  told  himself 
that  he  had  done  a  very  sensible  thing  when 
he  turned  into  the  Prairie  Hotel. 

Here  was  a  man  who  was  an  experienced 
hunter,  who  was  recommended  by  the  land- 


A   FRIENDLY   HUNTER.  323 

lord  as  being  the  best  fellow  in  the  world,  who 
knew  just  what  they  wanted,  and  would  assist 
in  fitting  them  out  for  the  plains. 

Things  could  not  have  worked  more  to  his 
liking. 

The  hunter  had  by  this  time  extinguished 
the  light  and  got  into  bed  ;  but  he  did  not 
seem  at  all  inclined  to  sleep. 

He  talked  incessantly  for  three  hours,  and 
kept  the  boys  interested  in  what  he  had  to 
say  regarding  a  hunter  and  trapper's  life. 

During  the  progress  of  the  conversation,  the 
boys  learned  that  their  friend's  name  was 
Eben  Webster  ;  that  he  had  left  all  his  outfit, 
except  his  horse,  at  Laramie  ;  that  he  had 
come  down  to  St.  Joe  to  rest,  after  a  hard 
season's  work  on  the  plains,  and  that,  having 
seen  enough  of  civilization  for  the  present,  he 
was  going  to  start  back  on  the  following 
morning. 

He  said  he  would  pick  out  some  saddle- 
horses  for  the  boys,  show  them  the  way  to  the 
fort,  where  he  would  secure  the  rest  of  their 
outfit  for  them,  and  then  he  would  lead  them 
to  the  mountains,  where  they  would  spend 


324      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   III  VIKK. 

the  rest  of  the  winter  together  in  hunting  and 
trapping. 

They  were  sure  to  have  the  best  of  luck,  for 
he  knew  right  where  to  go  to  find  plenty  of 
game  ;  and  if  he  didn't  make  good  hunters  of 
them  before  spring,  so  that  they  could  start 
on  their  own  hook,  he  would  give  them  all 
the  furs  he  caught. 

Leon  was  liighly  excited  over  the  prospect, 
and  it  was  a  long  time  after  the  conversation 
ceased  before  he  fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ON  THE  TRAIL. 

""TTOU'RE  a  pretty  fellow,  you  are !  " 

J-  Tliis  was  the  way  in  which  Leon  was 
greeted  by  his  cousin  the  next  morning  when 
he  awoke. 

It  was  broad  daylight.  The  hunter  had 
arisen  at  the  first  peep  of  day,  and  the  boys 
were  alone  in  their  room. 

"What's  the  matter  now  ?"  asked  Leon,  as 
he  sat  up  in  bed,  pulled  his  trousers  from 
under  his  pillow,  and  thrust  his  hand  into  his 
pocket  to  make  sure  that  his  money  was  safe. 
"  I  haven't  been  doing  anything ! " 

"No;  you  haven't  made  a  blunder  this 
morning,  for  you  haven't  had  time;  but  you 
made  two  fearful  ones  last  night,"  replied 
Frank.  "  What  in  the  world  induced  you  to 
tell  that  man  that  you  had  a  pocketful  of 
money  ?  He  is  a  stranger  to  us,  and  we  don't 
know  whether  he  is  honest  or  not." 

325 


326      TWO   WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A   HUNT  Ell. 

"Perhaps  I  did  talk  a  little  too  much,"  said 
Leon  reflectively.  "But  I  wanted  to  give 
Lim  to  understand  that,  if  lie  would  let  us 
go  with  him,  we  would  be  no  expense  to 
him." 

"  Well,  another  time  don't  be  in  such  haste 
to  take  a  person  you  don't  know  into  your 
confidence." 

Leon  could  make  no  defence,  so  he  said 
nothing. 

He  lay  for  a  long  time  thinking  over  the 
conversation  he  and  his  cousin  had  had  with 
the  hunter  the  night  before,  and  there  was  one 
thing  upon  which  he  dwelt  with  no  little  sat- 
isfaction. 

This  new  friend  had  not  tried  to  turn  them 
from  their  purpose.  On  the  contrary,  he  had 
said  all  lie  could  to  encournge  them.  If  his 
statements  were  worthy  of  belief — and  Leon 
did  not  doubt  them  in  the  least — a  hunter's 
life  was  one  of  ease  and  romance,  and  the  only 
one  that  was  all  sunshine.  It  was  true  that  a 
hunter  was  sometimes  in  danger  of  his  life,  but 
that  was  a  matter  of  no  moment  in  the  opinion 
of  Eben  Webster.  It  only  served  to  put  him 


OX    THE   TIIAIL.  327 

on  his  mettle,  and  to  relieve  the  monotony  of 
his  existence. 

Eben,  according  to  his  own  story,  was  a 
typical  hunter.  He  was  of  the  same  stamp 
as  those  doughty  heroes  who  figure  so  exten- 
sively in  cheap  novels.  He  had,  time  and 
again,  whipped  all  the  hostile  warriors  that 
could  get  around  him  ;  and  as  for  bears  and 
panthers,  he  thought  no  more  of  shooting 
them  than  Leon  did  of  bringing  down  a  grouse 
or  squirrel. 

The  boy  could  not  help  telling  himself  that 
Eben's  stories  differed  widely  from  those  to 
which  he  had  listened  in  the  bar-room,  but 
still  his  faith  in  his  new  friend  was  not 
shaken. 

He  believed  the  latter,  because  lie  pictured 
life  in  the  mountains  just  as  he  hoped  to  find 
it.  It  nefer  occurred  to  him  that  the  hunter 
had  told  him  a  pack  of  falsehoods,  but  he 
found  out  afterward  that  such  was  the  case. 

The  loud  ringing  of  a  bell  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs  interrupted  Leon's  meditations,  and 
brought  him  and  his  cousin  out  upon  the  floor 
in  a  twinkling.  The}*  dressed  with  all  haste, 


328       TWO   WAYS   OF  BECOMING   A    IIUXTER. 

and,  descending  to  the  bar-room,  found  the 
guests  loitering  about,  awaiting  the  call  to 
breakfast. 

Eben  was  there,  and  he  sat  beside  the  boys 
at  the  table.  His  tongue  ran  as  rapidly  as 
it  had  run  the  night  before,  and,  among  other 
things,  he  told  the  boys  that  he  had  been  busy 
that  morning  looking  up  a  mount  for  them, 
and  had  found  just  what  they  wanted. 

A  couple  of  gold-hunters  who  were  stop- 
ping at  the  hotel,  and.  were  going  to  start  for 
the  States  that  day,  offered  to  sell  the  horses 
they  had  ridden  from  the  mines  for  a  mere 
song — twenty  dollars  apiece,  including  sad- 
dles, bridles,  and  saddle-bags. 

"They  can't  be  good  for  anything  if  they 
can  be  bought  as  cheap  as  that,"  said  Leon. 
"My  father's  horse  cost  six  hundred  dollars." 

"  They're  good  enough  to  carry  you  to  Lara- 
mie,"  answered  the  hunter,  "  and  when  we  get 
there  you  can  trade  'em  off  to  the  Injuns  for 
better  ones.  What  I  want  to  make  you  under- 
stand is,  that  you  don't  want  to  spend  a  cent 
more  in  this  town  than  you  are  obliged  to. 
Things  are  so  dear  !  " 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  329 

This  was  the  burden  of  Eben's  advice  to  the 
boys,  and  he  repeated  it  so  often  while  they 
were  purchasing  their  outfit  that  they  began  to 
wonder  at  it.  Perhaps  we  shall  presently  see 
why  it  was  that  the  man  was  so  anxious  to 
have  Leon  take  good  care  of  his  money. 

Breakfast  being  over,  the  miners  who  owned 
the  horses  were  hunted  up,  and  Eben  and  the 
runaways  accompanied  them  to  the  stable. 

The  animals  were  brought  out  for  their  in- 
spection, but  the  boys  knew  no  more  about 
them  after  they  got  through  looking  them  over 
than  they  did  before  they  saw  them. 

They  were  mustangs,  and  although  in  very 
good  condition  they  were  by  no  means  hand- 
some, and  Frank  did  not  hesitate  to  say  so. 

"'Handsome  is  that  handsome  does,'  pil- 
grim," said  one  of  the  miners.  "  These  hosses 
have  been  through  two  or  three  fights  with 
Injuns,  and  if  it  hadn't  been  that  they're  just 
a  trifle  f aster' n  chain  lightning,  me  and  my 
partner  wouldn't  be  here  in  St.  Joe  to-day. 
If  we  wasn't  going  back  to  the  States,  we 
wouldn't  think  of  parting  with  'em." 

These  words  raised  the  mustangs  wonderfully 


330       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   IIUXTK1I. 

in  Leon's  estimation.  Without  any  further 
hesitation,  he  pulled  out  his  roll  of  bills  and 
paid  for  them  on  the  spot. 

The  roll  was  still  a  pretty  large  one,  although 
he  had  paid  his  own  and  his  cousin's  railroad 
and  steamboat  fare  out  of  it.  It  was  large 
enough  to  make  Eben's  eyes  grow  to  twice 
their  usual  size,  and  if  the  boys  had  seen  the 
expression  that  settled  on  his  face,  and  conld 
have  read  the  thoughts  that  passed  through  his 
mind,  it  is  possible  that  their  own  eyes  would 
have  been  opened. 

The  horses  having  been  purchased,  but  little 
remained  to  be  done,  and  in  an  hour  more  the 
boys,  accompanied  by  the  hunter,  were  on 
their  way  to  the  plains. 

Instead  of  their  valise — for  which  the  land- 
lord had  generously  allowed  them  a  dollar  on 
their  bill — the  boys  carried,  strapped  behind 
their  saddles,  two  small  meal-bags,  which  con- 
tained their  clothing. 

The  saddle-bags  were  filled  with  provisions 
that  the  hunter  had  selected  for  them,  and  they 
were  each  provided  with  a  lariat  and  picket- 
pin  for  staking  out  their  horses  at  night. 


OX   THE  TRAIL.  331 

Eben  had  protested  earnestly  against  the 
expenditure  of  money  for  blankets,  declaring 
that  the  boys'  heavy  overcoats  would  afford 
them  all  the  protection  they  needed  at  night ; 
but  Frank  declared  that  he  had  never  read  of  a 
hunter  lying  before  his  fire  wrapped  in  an  over- 
coat, and  so  the  blankets  were  purchased. 

The  h'rst  few  days  passed  without  the  occur- 
rence of  any  incident  that  is  worthy  of  note. 
They  travelled  rapidly  ;  for  Eben  declared  that 
haste  was  necessary.  It  would  not  be  many 
days,  he  said,  before  the  cold  winter  storms 
would  begin  to  sweep  over  the  prairie — in  fact, 
he  had  never  known  them  to  hold  off  so  long 
before — and  if  they  were  caught  out  in  a 
"  blizzard,"  nothing  but  certain  death  awaited 
them. 

So  he  had  the  boys  up  every  morning  before 
daylight,  allowed  them  but  a  very  short  rest 
at  noon,  and  kept  them  in  the  saddle  long 
after  dark. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that,  not  being  accus- 
tomed to  riding  on  horseback,  they  suffered 
severely ;  but  the  tireless  mustangs  on  which 
they  were  mounted  did  not  seem  to  mind  it  in 


332       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

the  least.     They  were  as  willing  to  go  at  nine 
o'clock  at  night  as  they  were  in  the  morning. 

During  the  first  week  the  boys  saw  abso- 
lutely nothing  along  their  line  of  travel,  for 
their  time  was  fully  occupied  in  trying  to  find 
an  easy  position  in  the  saddle  ;  but  their  aches 
and  pains  gradually  left  them  as  they  became 
"hardened  to  it,''  and  then  Leon  began  to 
take  some  interest  in  the  new  and  strange 
sights  that  met  his  gaze  on  every  side. 

JTe  was  very  jubilant,  Eben  was  talkative, 
and  Frank  was  frightened  and  homesick. 
And  the  fact  was,  he  saw  a  good  deal  to 
frighten  him. 

Every  mile  of  the  road  was  marked  by  the 
bleaching  bones  of  horses  and  cattle,  telling  of 
disasters  that  had  befallen  some  unfortunate 
emigrant,  and  now  and  then  the  sight  of  a 
human  grave  or  the  ruins  of  a  "dug-out" 
would  make  the  cold  chills  creep  all  over  him. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  travel  on  the  trail 
for  that  time  of  the  year.  Every  day  they 
passed  long  lines  of  heavily  loaded  freight 
wagons,  and  they,  in  turn,  were  passed  by  the 
coaches  of  the  Overland  Stage  and  Mail  Com- 


ON   THE  TRAIL.  333 

pany,  which,  drawn  by  four  fleet  horses  and 
escorted  by  cavalrymen — who  galloped  along 
on  each  side  of  them — whisked  by  at  the  rate 
of  ten  miles  an  hour. 

They  also  saw  trains  going  the  other  way- 
empty  freight-wagons,  which  a  few  weeks  be- 
fore had  gone  out  loaded  with  government 
stores,  and  others  driven  by  disgusted  gold- 
hunters  and  emigrants,  who  were  making  all 
haste  to  reach  the  States. 

The  hunter  always  made  it  a  point  to  travel 
rapidly  whenever  he  and  his  companions  met 
any  of  these  returning  wagons. 

He  took  particular  pains,  also,  when  they 
began  to  think  of  stopping  for  the  night,  to 
ride  so  far  beyond  any  camp  they  might  find 
on  the  trail  that  the  boys  could  not  go  back  to 
visit  it. 

He  did  not  intend  to  allow  his  young  com- 
panions an  opportunity  to  converse  with  any 
of  the  emigrants,  for  fear  that  they  might  hear 
something  discouraging ;  but,  in  spite  of  all 
his  precautions,  they  learned  something  along 
the  route  which  Eben  himself  had  learned  at  a 
station  near  which  they  made  their  camp  a  few 


334       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A   HUNTER. 

nights  before,  but  which  he  studiously  kept 
from  the  boys. 

One  afternoon,  when  they  were  about  twenty 
miles  from  Julesburg,  and  430  on  their  way 
toward  Fort  Laramie,  one  of  the  mail-coaches 
overtook  them,  accompanied,  as  usual,  by  four 
cavalrymen. 

As  the  coach  dashed  by  the  sergeant  who 
commanded  the  escort  drew  up  his  horse  with 
a  jerk,  exclaiming : 

"  Where  bound,  pilgrims  ?  " 

"  Fort  Laramie,"  replied  Leon,  who  was  the 
first  to  speak. 

"Laramie!"  echoed  the  sergeant.  "You 
will  never  see  it  this  year.  You'll  do  well  if 
you  get  to  Julesburg.  You  want  to  keep  up 
with  us  if  you  can,  because  the  reds  have  been 
jumping  down  on  some  of  the  coaches." 

So  saying,  the  officer  touched  his  horse  with 
his  spurs,  and  galloped  away  in  pursuit  of  the 
coach. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

FRANK   STARTS    FOR  HOME. 

sergeant's  words  produced  the  utmost 
consternation  among  those  who  heard 
them. 

The  boys  turned  white  with  terror,  and  cast 
anxious  glances  toward  the  surrounding  swells, 
momentarily  expecting  to  see  a  band  of  hostile 
warriors  rise  over  their  summits  and  swoop 
down  upon  them. 

Eben  was  alarmed,  too  ;  but  he  did  not  show 
it  as  plainly  as  his  companions  did. 

"There  aint  a  word  of  truth  in  it,"  he  said. 
"  I  have  been  along  this  trail  niore'n  a  hundred 
times,  and  never  saw  no  Injuns  yet.  They 
wouldn't  be  roaming  about  the  plains  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  anyway.  They  are  up  on 
the  Big  Horn,  getting  ready  for  winter." 

"But  what  did  the  soldier  mean  when  he 
said  that  \\7e  will  do  well  if  we  reach  Jules- 
burg  ?  "  asked  Frank  in  a  trembling  voice. 

335 


336      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"  He  meant  that  it  was  going  to  snow,"  re- 
plied the  hunter.  "  But  I  can  read  the  signs 
like  a  book,  and  I  know  it  won't  snow  for  a 
week  yet.  But  even  if  it  does  storm,  we  don't 
care,  for  we  shall  be  in  Julesburg  to-morrow." 

With  this  answer,  Eben  tried  to  turn  the 
conversation  into  another  channel,  but  the 
boys,  being  terribly  frightened,  could  talk 
about  nothing  but  Indians,  and  speculate  upon 
their  chances  of  reaching  a  place  of  safety. 

The  hunter  stood  it  as  long  as  he  could,  and 
then  said,  almost  savagely  : 

"If  there  were  Injuns  about,  you  wouldn't 
see  so  many  single  wagons  along  the  road. 
The  emigrants  would  wait  for  one  another,  and 
make  up  a  strong  train,  so  that  they  could  de- 
fend themselves." 

Leon,  who  had  all  faith  in  the  hunter,  was 
somewhat  reassured  by  these  words,  but 
Frank's  terror  increased  every  time  he  re- 
called the  sergeant's  warning. 

Just  before  dark  they  passed  a  camp  on  the 
bank  of  a  little  stream,  and  Frank  urged  Eben 
to  stop  there,  so  that  they  could  have  company 
during  the  night;  but  the  hunter,  following 


FIIAXK    ST AIM'S    FOR   HOME.  337 

his  usual  custom,  rode  by  at  a  gallop,  and  as 
Leon  went  with  him,  Frank  had  to  follow  or 
be  left  alone. 

"  I  can't  stand  this  any  longer,  and  I  won't, 
either,"  said  Frank  to  himself,  as  he  galloped 
along  behind  his  companions.  "But  after  all, 
I  don't  see  how  I  am  going  to  help  myself.  I 
have  waited  and  watched  for  an  opportunity 
to  get  my  hands  on  that  money  ever  since  we 
left  St.  Joe,  and  I  haven't  seen  a  ghost  of  a 
chance." 

Frank  was  almost  ready  to  cry  with  vexa- 
tion and  alarm.  He  did  not  know  what  to 
do  ;  but  as  it  happened,  a  way  was  most  un- 
expectedly opened  for  him  to  carry  out  his 
plans  that  very  night. 

Eben  kept  his  horse  in  a  gallop  until  the 
emigrant's  camp  was  left  at  least  five  miles 
behind,  and  then,  drawing  rein  in  a  little 
clump  of  willows,  announced  that  they  would 
stop  there  until  morning. 

The  weary  boys  swung  themselves  from 
their  saddles,  and  set  about  the  performance 
of  certain  duties  that  had  been  assigned  them 
when  the  journey  first  began. 

22 


338       TWO    WAYS    OF    BECOMING    A    HUXTKIt. 

Frank's  business  was  to  cut  wood  enough  to 
keep  the  fire  burning  all  night,  and  although 
he  appeared  to  work  industriously,  he  spent 
more  than  half  his  time  in  watching  his 
cousin's  movements. 

He  saw  him  take  his  saddle-bags  from  his 
horse,  lift  up  the  flap  that  covered  one  of  the 
pockets  and  thrust  his  hand  into  the  bag. 

Then  he  placed  the  bags  upon  the  ground 
n^ar  the  spot  on  which  the  fire  was  to  be  built, 
and  piled  his  saddle,  blankets,  and  overcoat 
upon  them,  taking  care  to  arrange  all  the 
articles  in  such  a  position  that  he  could  tell 
at  a  glance  if  any  of  them  had  been  disturbed. 

"He  has  done  that  every  noon  and  night 
for  the  last  week,"  soliloquized  Frank,  "and 
now  I  am  satisfied  that  the  money  is  in  those 
saddle-bags.  Mine  look  exactly  like  his,  and 
if  I  see  a  chance  I'll  exchange  with  him  and 
leave.  I  am  sure  I  could  find  my  way  back  to 
that  emigrant's  camp,  and  perhaps  I  could  in- 
duce him  to  let  me  ride  in  his  wagon  as  far  as 
St.  Joe." 

The  supper,  consisting  of  bacon  and  crackers 
which  Leon  had  purchased  at  one  of  the  mail 


FRANK   STARTS   FOR  HOME.  339 

stations,  was  ready  in  due  time,  and  when  it 
liad  been  disposed  of  the  travellers  lay  down 
beside  the  fire — Eben  on  his  soldier's  overcoat 
and  the  boys  on  their  blankets — and  talked 
themselves  to  sleep — that  is,  Leon  and  the 
hunter  went  to  sleep,  but  Frank  kept  wide 
awake.  lie  had  no  intention  of  closing  his 
eyes  that  night. 

Before  lying  down,  Leon  had  placed  his 
saddle-bags  across  his  saddle  in  the  same  posi- 
tion they  occupied  when  he  was  on  horseback, 
and  the  pocket  which  contained  the  money 
was  under  his  shoulders,  while  his  head  rested 
in  the  hollow  of  the  saddle,  which  he  used  as 
a  pillow. 

These  precautions  almost  disheartened 
Frank,  who,  for  six  long  hours,  lay  there, 
within  easy  reach  of  his  cousin,  revolving  in 
his  mind  various  plans  for  obtaining  posses- 
sion of  the  coveted  treasure. 

Two  or  three  times  he  reached  out  his  hand 
and  tried  to  pull  the  saddle-bags  from  under 
Leon's  shoulders,  but  every  time  he  did  so 
Leon  stirred  in  his  sleep,  and  Frank  was 
obliged  to  desist. 


340       TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING    A    IIUXTER. 

He  was  almost  ready  to  give  up  in  despair, 
when,  to  his  great  joy,  his  cousin,  in  tossing 
about  and  trying  to  find  a  more  comfortable 
position,  rolled  partly  off  his  rude  bed. 

Frank  was  prompt  to  seize  upon  the  oppor- 
tunity thus  presented,  for  it  was  now  or 
never. 

As  quick  as  thought,  he  drew  the  saddle- 
bags toward  him,  unbuckled  the  flap,  and 
plunged  his  hand  in  the  pocket. 

As  he  did  so,  his  fingers  came  in  contact 
with  something  wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of 
paper. 

Hardly  able  to  suppress  the  cry  of  exulta- 
tion that  arose  to  his  lips,  he  seized  upon  it, 
and,  raising  himself  to  his  knees,  untied  the 
paper  with  hands  that  trembled  violently. 

The  fire,  which  the  hunter  had  replenished 
several  times  during  the  night,  was  burning 
brightly,  and,  by  the  aid  of  the  light  it  threw 
out,  Frank  saw  that  he  had  found  what  he 
wanted. 

The  next  thing  was  to  leave  the  camp  with- 
out arousing  either  of  his  companions. 

Hastily  buckling  the  flap,  he  pushed  the 


FRAXK   STARTS   FOR   HOME.  341 

saddle-bags  back  to  their  place,  and  arose  to 
his  feet. 

He  spent  a  moment  in  arranging  his  blankets, 
so  that  anyone  who  took  a  casual  glance  at 
them  would  believe  that  they  covered  a  human 
form,  took  his  overcoat  on  his  arm,  picked  up 
his  rifle  and  accoutrements,  which  he  had 
placed  at  the  head  of  his  bed,  and  stole  silently 
away  into  the  darkness. 

He  walked  a  few  rods  with  noiseless  foot- 
steps, and  then,  breaking  into  a  run,  flew  over 
the  ground  at  a  rate  of  speed  he  had  never 
equalled  before. 

"  I've  got  it !  I've  got  it  at  last !  "  he  kept 
whispering  to  himself;  "and  if  I  can  only 
keep  it,  I  am  sure  of  seeing  home  and  friends 
once  more.  I  will  keep  it.  I'll  fight  till  I 
drop  before  I'll  give  it  up.  I  am  rather  sorry 
that  I  had  to  take  it  all,  but  I  was  afraid  that 
if  I  stopped  to  divide  it,  one  or  the  other  of 
them  would  wake  up  and  discover  me.  Well, 
Leon  stands  in  no  need  of  it,  for  he  doesn't 
want  to  go  home.  Besides,  he  has  Eben  to  take 
care  of  him,  while  I  must  look  out  for  myself." 

The  boy  would  have  been  greatly  amazed  if 


342      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

anyone  had  told  him  that  the  hunter  had  been 
laying  his  plans  to  do  just  what  he  (Frank) 
had  done. 

Eben  never  intended  to  guide  the  boys  to 
Fort  Laramie.  His  object  was  to  lead  them 
into  the  wilderness  beyond  Julesburg,  where 
there  were  but  few  wagons  to  be  met  at  that 
season  of  the  year,  steal  Leon's  money  and 
Frank's  rifle  and  blankets,  and  leave  them  to 
shift  for  themselves.  But  Frank  got  the  start 
of  him,  and  we  shall  see  what  the  hunter  did 
about  it. 

Frank  very  soon  ran  himself  out  of  breath, 
and  was  obliged  to  settle  down  into  a 
walk. 

Knowing  that  his  absence  would  ere  long  be 
discovered,  and  that  an  effort  would  be  made 
to  overtake  him  and  recover  the  money,  he 
stopped  frequently  to  listen  for  sounds  of  pur- 
suit, holding  himself  in  readiness  to  leave  the 
trail  and  seek  a  hiding-place  in  the  grass  if  he 
heard  the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs.  But  Leon 
and  the  hunter  still  slept  soundly,  and  Frank 
went  on  his  way  unmolested. 

The  five  miles  that  lay  between  his  own 


FRANK   STARTS   FOR   HOME.  343 

camp  and  the  camp  of  the  emigrant  seemed  to 
have  lengthened  out  wonderfully  since  Frank 
passed  that  way,  but  just  as  the  day  was  break- 
ing he  came  within  sight  of  the  canvas  cover  of 
the  wagon,  and  saw  the  light  of  the  camp-fire 
shining  through  it. 

Breaking  into  a  run,  he  dashed  up  to  the 
wagon,  creating  no  little  excitement  among 
the  emigrant's  children,  who  ran  to  their, 
mother  and  clung  to  her  dress  for  protec- 
tion. 

The  woman  looked  up  from  her  cooking,  the 
man,  who  was  harnessing  his  mules,  faced 
suddenly  about,  and  both  stared  at  him,  as  if 
to  ask  what  he  meant  by  his  intrusion. 

"My  friend,"  said  Frank,  speaking  rapidly, 
and  keeping  his  gaze  directed  down  the  trail 
in  the  direction  from  which  he  had  come, 
"  will  you  do  a  favor  for  me?" 

"Anything  in  reason,"  was  the  encourag- 
ing reply. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Frank  gratefully.  "  Do 
you  see  this  rifle?  It  cost  forty  dollars  in 
Boston.  I  will  give  it  to  you  if  you  will  let 
me  hide  in  your  wagon  and  ride  with  you  until 


344      TWO   WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   IIUXTER. 

we  reach  one  of  the  mail-stations.  I  have  a 
little  money  in  my  possession,  and  am  in  dan- 
ger of  being  robbed." 

"Mercy  preserve  us!"  exclaimed  the  emi- 
grant's wife. 

"You  see,"  continued  Frank,  "I  started 
from  St.  Joe,  intending  to  go  to  Fort  Laramie, 
but  I  have  seen  enough  of  this  Western  coun- 
try, and  now  I  want  to  go  home." 

"I  don't  blame  you,"  said  the  emigrant. 
"  We  want  to  go  home,  too." 

"Then  you  can  imagine  how  I  should  feel 
if  I  were  robbed  and  left  stranded  here  on  the 
plains.  I  assure  you  that  if  you  will  let  me 
go  with  you  and  hide  in  your  wagon  until  all 
danger  is  past— 

At  this  moment  Frank  discovered  some- 
thing moving  rapidly  along  the  trail,  about 
half  a  mile  away. 

He  looked  closely  at  it,  and  saw  that  it  was 
a  horseman,  who  was  urging  his  way  forward 
at  full  speed. 

"That's  Eben,"  said  he,  in  a  husky  voice. 
"  He  is  the  man  who  wants  to  rob  me.  Don't 
you  believe  a  word  he  says  to  you.  If  he  asks 


FRANK   STARTS   FOR   HOME.  345 

you  about  me,  tell  him  that  you  haven't  seen 
me." 

So  saying,  Frank  sprang  into  the  wagon  and 
began  covering  himself  up  with  the  bedding 
that  was  scattered  over  the  bottom. 

In  a  second  more  he  was  concealed,  boots 
and  all. 

"If  we  tell  him  that,  we'll  be  lying,"  said 
the  woman  thoughtfully. 

"  Well,  mebbe  it  would  be  stretching  things 
just  a  little,"  said  the  man  slowly,  "but  in  a 
case  like  this — that's  a  mighty  fine  rifle  of 
his'n,  Jane,  and  squirrels  are  plenty  in  Kain- 
tuck." 

"And  this  rifle  will  bring  them  out  of  the 
tallest  hickory  in  the  woods,"  said  Frank, 
sticking  his  head  out  from  under  the  quilts 
for  a  moment,  and  then  drawing  it  hastily 
back  again. 

The  emigrant  once  more  turned  his  attention 
to  his  mules,  the  woman  went  on  with  her 
preparations  for  breakfast,  and  presently  the 
horseman  galloped  up  to  the  camp  and  drew 
rein. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

tf   SHOWS   HIS   COLORS. 


AY,  pilgrim,  have  you  seen  a  boy  dressed 
in  store  clothes,  and  carrying  a  rifle  in  his 
hands,  pass  along  the  trail  this  morning?"  in- 
quired the  horseman. 

The  concealed  runaway,  who  had  taken  care 
to  leave  a  little  opening  among  the  quilts,  so 
that  he  could  hear  all  that  was  said,  trembled 
violently  as  the  familiar  tones  fell  upon  his 
ear. 

It  was  the  hunter,  sure  enough.  He  held 
his  breath  in  suspense,  while  he  waited  for  the 
emigrant's  reply. 

"Nary  boy,"  drawled  the  man.  "There 
aint  nobody  passed  this  camp  since  sundown 
last  night." 

"Then  he  must  have  left  the  trail  and  taken 
to  the  grass,"  said  Eben.  "I've  missed  him 
somewhere,  but  I'll  find  him  if  I  have  to  hunt 
the  whole  country  over." 

346 


EBEX   SHOWS   HIS   COLORS.  347 

"  Has  lie  been  a-doing  of  anything  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  he  had.  He  stole  over  three 
hundred  dollars  out  of  my  saddle-bags  early 
this  morning." 

The  exclamations  this  statement  called 
forth  from  the  emigrant  and  his  wife  made 
Frank  tremble  again. 

AVhat  if  they  should  take  it  into  their 
heads  to  believe  Eben's  story  instead  of  his 
own?  The  emigrant's  next  words,  however, 
put  him  somewhat  at  his  ease. 

"Well,  I  aint  seen  him  go  past  here,"  said 
he.  "  What  do  you  reckon  you'll  do  with 
him  if  you  ketch  him  ?" 

The  hunter  did  not  answer  the  question  in 
words.  He  drew  his  revolver  and  held  it  off 
at  arm's  length,  as  if  he  were  taking  aim  at 
something,  at  the  same  time  digging  his  heels 
into  the  sides  of  his  horse,  which  sprang  away 
at  the  top  of  his  speed. 

When  Eben  was  out  of  sight,  the  emigrant 
stepped  upon  the  wagon-tongue  and  called  to 
Frank  : 

"Look  here,  neighbor,"  he  exclaimed,  "that 
man  says  you  robbed  him  !  How  is  that? " 


348      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

"There  isn't  a  word  of  truth  in  it,"  replied 
Frank.  "He  never  had  his  hands  on  the 
money  I've  got  in  my  pocket.  Did  you  take 
a  good  look  at  him  ?  Well,  now  take  a  good 
look  at  me,  and  make  up  your  mind  which 
of  us  you  would  rather  believe." 

"There's  something  in  that,"  said  the  emi- 
grant. "  You  look  like  an  honest  boy,  and  I 
hope  you  be.  You'd  best  stay  in  there  a 
spell,  I  reckon.  That  feller  may  come  back 
after  a  while,  and  if  lie  gets  his  eye  on  you,  I 
am  afraid  it  will  go  hard  with  you.  I'll  hand 
you  in  a  bite  to  eat." 

The  emigrant  stepped  down  from  the  wagon- 
tongue,  and  when  he  came  back  again,  he 
placed  in  Frank's  hand  a  tin  plate,  containing 
a  piece  of  bacon  and  corn-bread,  and  a  quart 
cup  filled  with  coffee.  He  and  his  family  ate 
their  breakfast  while  seated  around  the  fire. 

When  the  meal  was  over,  the  mules  were 
hitched  to  the  wagon,  the  woman  and  her 
children  climbed  in,  and  the  emigrant  mounted 
his  seat  and  drove  off. 

They  had  not  been  on  the  trail  more  than 
two  hours  before  Frank,  who  was  constantly 


EBEX   SHOWS   HIS   COLORS.  349 

on  the  watch,  discovered  Eben  coming  back. 
The  instant  he  caught  sight  of  him  lie  made  a 
dash  for  his  hiding-place,  and  the  emigrant 
and  his  wife  covered  him  up  with  the  qnilts. 

There  was  no  need  of  all  this  trouble,  how- 
ever, for  the  hunter  never  looked  toward  the 
wagon  as  he  galloped  by,  and  only  shook  his 
head  sullenly  when  the  emigrant  asked  him 
if  he  had  found  the  boy  of  whom  he  was  in 
search. 

Frank's  adventures  on  the  plains  were  now 
ended.  For  a  few  hours  he  was  extremely 
nervous  and  uneasy,  and  always  sought  his 
hiding-place  whenever  a  horseman  wearing  a 
military  overcoat  made  his  appearance  on  the 
trail  behind  them  ;  but  Eben  was  a  good  many 
miles  away,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before 
Frank  heard  of  him  again. 

He  remained  with  the  hospitable  emigrant 
until  they  arrived  at  one  of  the  stations  of  the 
Overland  Stage  Company,  and  there  he  took 
leave  of  him  and  his  family,  after  presenting 
the  man  with  his  rifle,  according  to  promise, 
and  secured  a  seat  in  a  coach  bound  for 
Atchison. 


350       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

Having  seen  liim  fairly  on  his  way  toward 
home,  we  will  bid  him  good-by  for  the  present, 
and  return  to  Leon,  whom  we  left  fast  asleep 
on  his  blanket. 

When  Frank  had  been  gone  a  little  more 
than  an  hour,  and  the  first  gray  streaks  of 
dawn  were  beginning  to  make  their  appearance 
in  the  east,  Eben  suddenly  sat  up  and  looked 
about  him. 

After  stretching  his  arms  and  yawning,  he 
arose  and  mended  the  fire  ;  and  it  was  while  he 
was  thus  engaged  that  he  discovered  Frank's 
bed  was  empty. 

He  looked  toward  the  place  where  the 
horses  were  staked  out,  and  saw  that  they  were 
all  there,  but  he  noticed  that  Frank's  rifle  and 
overcoat  were  gone,  and  his  suspicions  were 
aroused  at  once. 

Stepping  quickly  to  Leon's  side,  he  seized 
him  by  the  shoulder  and  shook  him  roughly. 

"Pilgrim!  pilgrim!"  he  shouted,  in  sten- 
torian tones.  "  Wake  up  here  !  That  pardner 
o*  your'n  's  skipped  !  " 

Leon  was  wide  awake  in  an  instant.  He 
looked  toward  Frank's  bed,  and,  uttering  an 


EBEN   SHOWS   HIS   COLORS.  351 

exclamation  of  alarm,  caught  up  his  saddle- 
bags, unbuckled  one  of  the  flaps,  and  thrust 
his  hand  into  the  pocket. 

Everything  that  ought  to  have  been  there 
was  there  except  the  article  of  which  he  was 
in  search. 

He  tumbled  the  contents  of  both  pockets  on 
the  ground,  tossed  them  in  all  directions,  but 
the  little  round  package,  wrapped  in  a  piece 
of  newspaper,  was  not  to  be  found. 

"  It's  gone  !  "  gasped  Leon,  his  hands  falling 
helplessly  by  his  side. 

"You  don't  mean  the  money?"  cried  the 
hunter,  whose  excitement  was  fully  equal  to 
Leon's. 

"  Yes,  I  do  mean  the  money,"  replied  the 
boy,  who  felt  like  yelling  with  indignation. 
"  It  beats  me  how  he  got  it,  for  I  have  kept  a 
close  watch  over  it  ever  since  he  told  me  that 
he  wanted  to  go  home.  There  were  more  than 
three  hundred  dollars  in  that  roll,  too." 

The  hunter  muttered  something  that  sounded 
very  much  like  the  heaviest  kind  of  an  impre- 
cation. 

"You're  a  nice  one  to  have  money!"  said 


352      T\VO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

lie  angrily.  "  Why  didn't  you  keep  it  in  your 
pocket?" 

''Because  I  was  afraid  it  would  work  out 
and  get  lost.  Where  are  you  going?"  said 
Leon,  as  the  hunter  turned  and  ran  toward  his 
horse. 

"I'm  going  to  have  that  money  back,"  said 
Eben,  in  savage  tones.  "  He  can't  be  far  off, 
for  he  hasn't  been  gone  long  enough  to  put 
many  miles  between  him  and  us.  He  was  in 
his  bed  the  last  time  I  fixed  the  fire,  and  fast 
asleep,  too,  for  I  saw  him.  If  I  come  up  with 
him,  he'll  never  steal  any  more  money,  I  bet 
you  !  " 

"Don't  be  too  hard  on  him,"  said  Leon, 
who  did  not  like  the  expression  he  saw  in  his 
companion's  face.  "He  is  my  cousin,  you 
know." 

"  I  don't  care  if  he's  the  President's  cousin  ! 
We  make  short  work  of  thieves  in  this  coun- 
try. Yon  stay  and  watch  the  camp  until  I 
come  back." 

Eben  put  the  saddle  and  bridle  on  his  horse 
in  a  remarkably  short  space  of  time,  and, 
springing  upon  his  back,  galloped  away,  pay- 


KBF.X    SHOWS    HIS    COLORS.  353 

ing  no  heed  to  Leon's  repeated  request  that  he 
would  not  harm  J<Yank  if  lie  succeeded  in  over- 
taking him. 

"I  am  really  afraid  that  boy  has  got  him- 
self into  a  box,"  thought  Leon,  as  he  settled 
back  on  his  hard  bed.  "  I  never  saw  a  man  in 
such  a  rage  as  Eben  is.  He  takes  a  good  deal 
of  interest  in  my  affairs,  but  I  hope  he'll  not 
let  his  zeal  carry  him  too  far.  Frank  has  got 
me  into  a  box,  too,  for  if  I  should  grow  tired 
of  life  in  the  mountains,  and  conclude  to  go 
back  to  the  States,  how  am  I  to  get  there  ?  " 

The  indignation  Leon  felt  when  he  first  dis- 
covered that  his  money  had  been  stolen,  had 
given  away  to  a  feeling  of  uneasiness. 

He  was  certain  that  Eben  would  overtake  his 
cousin.  A  boy  on  foot  could  not  possibly 
escape  from  a  man  on  horseback,  especial  ly  on 
the  plains,  and  if  he  would  simply  bring  him 
back  and  hand  over  the  three  hundred  dollars, 
all  would  be  well ;  but  he  was  afraid  that  the 
angry  hunter  might  take  it  into  his  head  to 
punish  Frank  in  some  way. 

He  felt  the  loss  keenly,  but  he  was  not 
troubled  concerning  the  future. 

23 


3.54      T\VO    WAYS    OF    BECOMING    A    IIUXTEU. 

Eben  had  told  him  that  the  traders,  who 
were  located  at  the  various  posts  during  the 
winter,  were  in  the  habit  of  furnishing  supplies 
on  credit  to  responsible  hunters  and  trappers, 
who  would  bind  themselves  to  sell  their  furs  to 
no  one  but  the  man  of  whom  the  supplies  were 
obtained. 

So  the  loss  of  his  money  would  not  prevent 
him  and  Eben  from  spending  a  few  months  in 
the  mountains,  as  they  had  intended  to  do. 

But  still  he  wanted  funds  to  use,  in  case  of 
emergency,  and  he  hoped  that  Eben  would 
succeed  in  overtaking  Frank. 

Leon  did  not  cook  any  breakfast,  for  he 
could  not  have  eaten  a  mouthful  if  he  had 
tried  ;  his  anxiety  and  suspense  were  too  great. 

He  spent  four  hours  in  walking  back  and 
forth  between  the  camp-fire  and  the  trail,  and 
presently  he  saw  Eben  coming  back. 

The  expression  his  face  wore  when  he  rode 
up  made  Leon  afraid  to  speak  to  him.  It  was 
evident  that  he  had  had  his  trouble  for  his 
pains. 

While  the  boy  was  wondering  how  Frank 
could  have  effected  his  escape,  the  hunter  dis- 


EBEN   SHOWS   HIS   COLOKS.  355 

mounted,  and  walking  over  to  the  place  where 
the  two  mustangs  were  staked  out,  he  cut  the 
lariats  with  which  they  were  confined,  and  set 
them  at  liberty. 

This  done,  he  hurried  into  the  camp,  and, 
without  saying  a  word,  proceeded  to  gather  up 
all  the  articles  Frank  had  left  behind,  as  well 
as  those  belonging  to  Leon. 

He  picked  up  the  saddle-bags,  all  the 
blankets,  the  meal-bags  which  contained  the 
boys'  clothing,  and  threw  them  across  the 
neck  of  his  horse. 

After  balancing  them  so  that  they  would  not 
fall  off,  he  came  back  and  picked  up  Leon's 
double-barrel,  and  also  the  powder-flask  and 
shot-pouch  belonging  to  it. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  the 
boy,  who  had  watched  the  singular  movements 
with  surprise,  not  unmingled  with  alarm. 

"I  am  off  for  the  mountains,"  answered 
Eben  in  sullen  tones.  "I  have  the  best 
notion  in  the  world  to  knock  you  over  before 
I  go  for  not  keeping  that  money  in-  your 
pocket  where  it  belonged." 

"But  what  are  you  taking  my  horse  for  ? 


TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

If  you  are  going  to  the  mountains,  why  can't 
I  go  with  you  ?" 

The  hunter  made  no  reply.  He  sprang  upon 
the  back  of  his  own  horse  and  gall  op  ?d  away, 
followed  by  the  liberated  mustangs,  and  leav- 
ing Leon  standing  beside  the  fire,  almost  over- 
whelmed with  astonishment  and  terror. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

ALONE  AND    FRIENDLESS. 

LEON,  who  was  by  no  means  dull  of  com- 
prehension, had  no  difficulty  in  finding 
an  explanation  of  the  hunter's  actions.  The 
latter  had  deliberately  robbed  and  deserted 
the  boy  who  had  trusted  him. 

This  conviction  came  upon  Leon  with  stun- 
ning force,  and  literally  crushed  him  to  the 
ground. 

He  fell  down  beside  the  fire,  and  for  a  few 
moments  gave  way-  to  the  most  violent  grief. 
Then,  suddenly  recovering  himself,  he  sprang 
tor  his  feet  and  ran  swiftly  down  the  trail, 
shouting  the  hunter's  name  and  imploring 
him  to  come  back. 

But  Eben  was  out  of  hearing.  In  a  few 
seconds  more  he  disappeared  over  a  swell,  and 
Leon  was  alone  on  the  prairie. 

How  he  managed  to  exist  during  the  next 
few  hours  he  never  knew. 

35T 


358      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

He  Avas  animated  with  but  one  idea,  and 
that  was  to  reach  Julesburg  in  the  shortest 
possible  space  of  time. 

He  knew  it  was  a  military  post,  and  he 
hoped  to  find  the  hunter  there.  If  he  did,  he 
would  seek  an  interview  with  the  commandant, 
tell  him  his  story,  and  have  the  thief  arrested. 

"But  how  much  better  off  will  I  be  then 
than  I  am  now?"  sobbed  Leon,  after  he  had 
thought  the  matter  over.  "I  shall  get  my 
property  back,  of  course ;  but  what  use  will 
it  be  to  me  ?  I  would  not  dare  start  for  St. 
Joe  alone,  for  there  are  Indians  along  the 
route,  and  I  have  heard  Eben  say  that  it  will 
not  be  long  before  the  roads  will  be  blocked 
with  snow.  I  suppose  I  might  find  a  train  of 
empty  freight-wagons  going  back,  but  who 
will  feed  me  when  I  have  no  money  to  pay  for 
what  I  eat  ?  I  can' t  become  a  hunter,  now  that 

Eben  has  gone  back  on  me,  and  I Oh,  I 

wish  I  had  never  seen  or  heard  of  Frank 
Fuller!  I  wouldn't  be  here  now  if  he  had 
stayed  at  home/' 

Leon  ran  until  he  was  all  out  of  breath,  and 
then  slackened  his  speed  to  a  walk. 


ALONE   AND   FRIENDLESS.  359 

He  had  heard  the  hunter  say  that  the  near- 
est post  was  only  ten  miles  distant ;  but  the 
miles  on  the  prairies  are  longer  than  they  are 
in  the  States,  and  it  was  past  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon  when  he  came  in  sight  of  the 
little  collection  of  tents  and  mud-houses  that 
bore  the  name  of  Julesburg. 

He  directed  his  course  toward  the  stockade, 
which  stood  on  a  hill  a  little  apart  from  the 
town,  but  when  he  came  to  the  gate  he  paused, 
for  there  was  an  armed  sentinel  pacing  back 
and  forth  in  front  of  it. 

"  Do  you  allow  strangers  in  here?"  asked 
the  boy  timidly. 

"  Yes  ;  if  they  come  on  business,"  answered 
the  sentry. 

Leon,  replying  that  he  had  come  on  busi- 
ness, and  very  important  business,  too,  walked 
through  the  gate  and  paused  to  see  which  way 
he  would  go  next. 

He  was  surprised  at  the  extent  of  the  fortifi- 
cations. In  the  center  was  a  parade-ground 
large  enough  to  admit  of  the  evolutions  of  a 
regiment. 

This     parade-ground    was    surrounded    by 


360      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A   HUNTER. 

broad,  level  walks,  the  space  between  the 
walks  and  the  stockade  being  occupied 
with  Avarehouses,  the  sutler  and  trader's 
stores,  barracks,  officers'  quarters,  and  stables, 
all  built  of  sun-dried  bricks. 

A  tall  flag-staff  arose  from  the  parade- 
ground,  and  from  it  floated  the  Stars  and 
Stripes. 

Leon  could  see  nothing  of  Eben,  but  he  did 
see  three  or  four  men  lounging  in  front  of  the 
open  door  of  one  of  the  buildings,  and  toward 
them  he  bent  his  steps. 

The  building  proved  to  be  a  stable,  and  the 
men  were  government  teamsters. 

When  they  saw  Leon  approaching,  they 
ceased  their  conversation  and  looked  at  him 
with  curiosity. 

"  Good-afternoon  !  "  said  the  boy,  speaking 
in  as  steady  a  voice  as  he  could  command. 
"  Do  any  of  you  happen  to  know  a  hunter 
named  Eben  Webster?" 

"  I  reckon,"  replied  one  of  the  men  ;  "  and 
we  don't  know  nothing  good  of  him,  neither." 

"Have  you  seen  him  about  here  to-day?" 
asked  Leon. 


ALONE   AND   FRIENDLESS.  3t51 

"About  here?  About  this  fort?"  ex- 
claimed another  teamster.  "Not  much. 
He'll  never  come  through  one  of  our  gates  un- 
less he  conies  with  a  guard  over  him.  You 
don't  want  no  dealings  with  him,  pilgrim. 
He's  a  thief." 

"I  know  it,"  replied  Leon,  his  lips  quiver- 
ing and  his  eyes  filling  with  tears.  "He 
stripped  me  of  everything  I  had,  except  the 
clothes  I  stand  in,  and  left  me  alone  on  the 
prairie." 

The  teamsters  began  to  jyick  up  their  ears 
when  they  heard  this,  and  two  or  three  of  their 
companions,  who  were  at  work  in  the  stable, 
came  to  the  door  to  listen  to  the  conversation. 

Leon,  finding  that  he  had  an  attentive  au- 
dience, began  and  told  the  story  of  his 
troubles,  hoping  that,  if  he  could  get  the 
men  interested,  they  would  assist  him  in 
some  way. 

He  told  nothing  but  the  truth  as  far  as  he 
Avent,  but  he  omitted  one  very  important  thing 
which  the  wagon-master,  an  old,  gray-headed 
man,  who  had  not  yet  spoken,  supplied  for 
him,  after  asking  a  few  questions. 


362      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"  Have  you  got  a  father  ?  "  be  asked. 

Leon  replied  that  lie  had. 

"  And  a  mother,  too  ? " 

The  boy  nodded  his  head. 

"Then,  my  young  tenderfoot,  you're  a  runa- 
way, that's  what  you  are.  No  father  or 
mother  livin'  would  let  a  kid  like  you  come 
out  here  to  make  his  bread  and  bacon  by 
Imntin'  and  trappin'.  You're  a  nice  lad  to 
talk  about  roughin'  it  in  the  mountains,  aint 
you,  now?  Jest  step  over  here  'longside  of 
me  and  look  at  yourself." 

The  old  wagon-master  spoke  seriously,  and 
his  words  did  not  raise  a  laugh  at  Leon's 
expense,  as  the  latter  expected  they  would. 
He  hung  his  head,  and  it  was  all  he  could  do 
to  keep  his  tears  from  bursting  out  afresh. 

One  of  the  teamsters  declared  that  it  was  a 
perfect  shame,  and  this  remark  brought  about 
a  general  conversation,  during  which  Leon 
learned  ho\v  foolish  he  had  been  in  taking  into 
his  confidence  a  man  with  whom  he  was  not 
acquainted, 

Eben  had  never  been  post-huntev  at  Lnra- 
mie,  nor  anywhere  else.  He  was  nothing  but 


ALONE   AND   FRIENDLESS.  363 

a  renegade,  who  bad  married  an  Indian  wife 
that  he  might  share  in  the  annuities  that  are 
yearly  distributed  among  the  different  friendly 
tribes. 

Leon  was  also  informed  that  Eben  had  fled 
the  country  a  few  months  before  to  escape 
arrest  ;  that  he  had  never  killed  eight  hundred 
buffaloes  during  all  the  years  he  had  been  on 
the  plains,  and  that  he  was  too  lazy  and  too 
big  a  coward  to  spend  a  winter  in  the  moun- 
tains, hunting  and  trapping.  He  much  pre- 
ferred to  settle  down  in  his  teepee  and  eat 
government  rations. 

As  for  the  articles  he  had  stolen,  the  boy 
might  just  as  well  give  them  up  for  lost. 
Eben  had  doubtless  drawn  a  bee-line  for  the 
place  where  the  band  to  which  he  belonged 
was  encamped,  and  Leon  would  never  see  him 
again. 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on,  the 
wagon-master  arose  and  walked  away. 

He  was  gone  but  a  few  minutes,  and  when 
he  came  back  he  beckoned  to  Leon,  who 
promptly  joined  him. 

"Pilgrim,"  said  he,  as  they  walked  away 


364      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUXTEK. 

together,  "  I  wish  I  was  your  father  for  'bout 
half  an'  hour,  so  't  I  could  gin  you  a  good 
trouncin'  to  pay  you  for  runnin'  away  from  a 
good  home,  and  comin'  out  here  where  you 
aint  got  no  sort  of  business  in  the  world.  But 
seein'  I  aint  your  father,  I'm  kinder  sorry  for 
you,  though  you  aint  wuth  no  sorrer,  and  I've 
been  sayin'  a  good  word  to  the  trader  for  you. 
I  heard  him  tell  one  of  the  lef  tenants  last  night 
that  he  reckoned  he'd  have  to  send  to  the 
States  for  a  boy  to  help  him  take  care  on  the 
store.  You  see,  his  last  clerk,  growin'  tired 
of  stay  in'  here,  stole  some  money  of  his'n  and 
put  for  home.  Now,  mebbe  you  can  work 
yourself  into  his  place." 

Leon's  thanks  were  cut  short  by  their  arrival 
at  the  door  of  the  trader's  store. 

He  followed  the  wagon-master  in,  and  was 
presented  to  a  rough-looking  man,  who  stood 
behind  the  counter. 

A  long  conversation  followed,  and  when  Leon 
was  asked  to  tell  his  story,  he  omitted  nothing. 
The  trader  scanned  him  closely,  and  finally 
inquired : 

"Can  you  keep  a  set  of  books ? " 


ALOXE    AND    FRIENDLESS.  365 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Leon.  "Either  by 
single  or  double  entry." 

"Now,  I  don't  want  to  hear  no  more  about 
double-entry  !  "  exclaimed  the  trader,  grow- 
ing red  in  the  face,  and  dashing  his  clenched 
hand  upon  the  counter.  "  That's  the  way  my 
last  clerk  kept  my  books,  and  a  nice  mess 
he  made  of  it.  He  swindled  me  out  of  five 
hundred  or  a  thousand  dollars.  There's  the 
books,  just  as  he  left  them,"  added  the  trader, 
waving  his  hand  toward  the  desk,  "and  I 
can't  make  head  nor  tail  of  them." 

"Let  me  try,"  said  Leon. 

"  Are  you  honest?" 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  what  I  am  willing  to 
do.  I  will  come  here  on  trial,  if  you  will 
take  me,  and  you  can  withhold  my  wages, 
whatever  they  are.  If  you  see  anything 
wrong  about  me,  you  need  not  pay  me  a 
cent," 

"That's  a  fair  proposition,"  said  the  trader. 
"Hang  up  your  overcoat  somewhere,  and 
come  around  here." 

Leon  paused  long  enough  to  thank  the  kind- 
hearted  wagon  master  for  the  assistance  he 


36C      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

had  rendered  him,  and  then,  taking  his  stand 
behind  the  desk,  set  manfully  to  work  to  earn 
the  money  that  was  to  pay  his  way  back  to 
the  States.  That  was  all  he  had  in  his  mind 
now.  His  ambition  to  become  a  hunter  was 
dead  and  buried  out  of  sight. 

All  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  until  twelve 
o'clock  that  night,  the  trader  and  his  new 
clerk  stood  at  the  desk  trying  to  straighten 
out  the  accounts,  which  Leon  found  to  be  in 
the  greatest  confusion. 

And  we  may  add  that  his  mind  was  in  great 
confusion,  too.  The  sudden  blighting  of  his 
long-cherished  hopes  seemed  to  have  stunned 
him,  and  that  strange  malady,  homesickness, 
from  which  Frank  had  suffered  actually  ever 
since  leaving  Albany,  assailed  him  with  the 
greatest  fury. 

Frank  had  not  given  way  to  it,  for  he  had 
been  buoyed  up  by  the  thought  that,  if  he 
could  only  secure  his  cousin's  money,  he 
could  at  once  turn  his  face  toward  Boston  ;  but 
Leon  had  absolutely  nothing  to  encourage  him. 

While  they  were  at  work,  the  trader  casually 
remarked  that  he  had  paid  his  former  clerk 


ALONE   AXD   FRIENDLESS.  3C7 

twenty  dollars  a  month  and  board,  and  when 
Leon  thought  of  the  long  months  he  must 
spend  in  that  dreary  place  before  he  could 
save  enough  to  take  him  back  to  Eaton,  he  felt 
like  crying  out  in  despair. 

"  I  can' t  stand  it !  I  can' t  stand  it ! "  sobbed 
the  repentant  runaway,  as  he  tossed  about  on 
his  hard  bed  in  the  little  room  off  the  store 
that  had  been  occupied  by  his  predecessor. 
"  I  shall  die — I  know  I  shall.  Oh,  mother !  if 
I  could  only  see  you  just  one  minute  !  " 

Leon's  grief  was  so  intense  that  he  seemed 
to  be  on  the  point  of  suffocating.  He  threw 
open  the  door  of  the  room  and  walked  the 
floor  until  he  was  almost  exhausted  ;  but  when 
he  went  to  bed  again  he  did  not  sleep,  and 
neither  did  he  get  up  to  open  the  store  at  six 
o'clock,  as  his  employer  had  told  him  to  do. 
He  was  too  ill  to  hold  up  his  head. 

The  trader  opened  the  store  himself,  and, 
after  holding  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with 
his  clerk,  walked  across  the  parade-ground  and 
entered  the  doctors  office. 

Returning  to  his  store,  he  found  there  a 
party  of  teamsters  who  were  waiting  for  him. 


368      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

While  lie  was  attending  to  their  wants,  the 
hospital-steward  entered  and  went  into  Leon's 
room. 

He  stayed  there  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  when  he  came  out  the  trader  was  alone. 

"What's  the  matter  with  that  boy?"  he 
asked. 

"  Nostalgia  ;  and  I  suppose  that  is  one  of 
the  worst  things  a  poor  mortal  can  be  afflicted 
with,"  replied  the  steward.  "I  have  known 
it  to  throw  every  raw  recruit  in  a  battalion  flat 
on  his  back." 

"Jerusalem  !"  cried  the  trader,  his  face  be- 
traying the  greatest  consternation.  "Is  it  as 
bad  as  that?" 

Pie  did  not  understand  the  learned  term 
which  the  steward  had  applied  to  Leon's 
malady,  but  believing  that  a  disease  that  bore 
a  name  like  that  must  of  necessity  be  some- 
thing dreadful,  he  was  very  badly  frightened. 

If  there  was  any  one  thing  of  which  he 
stood  in  the  most  abject  fear,  it  was  contagion. 
He  had  had  some  experience  with  it  during 
his  life  among  the  Indians. 

The  steward,    who  seemed   somewhat  sur- 


ALOXE   AXD   FRIEXDLESS.  369 

prised  at  the  trader's  words  and  actions,  re- 
plied : 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  pretty  sick  boy.  He  has  told 
me  his  story,  and  I'm  going  to  speak  to  the 
doctor  about  him  at  once.  He  ought  to  be 
shipped  back  to  the  States  with" as  little  delay 
as  possible." 

The  steward  went  out,  and  the  trader  paced 
up  and  down  behind  his  counter  in  a  state  of 
mind  bordering  on  frenzy. 

"  If  I  ever  befriend  a  vagabond  again,  may 
I  be  shot!"  said  he.  "He  must  be  got  out 
of  here  at  once,  for  I  might  catch  it  myself. 
It  is  a  pretty  rough  thing  to  do,"  he  added, 
as  he  hurried  toward  Leon's  door,  "but  self- 
preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature.  Say, 
pilgrim,"  he  shouted,  as  he  entered  the  room 
where  his  clerk  lay  tossing  and  moaning  on 
his  bed,  "you  climb  out  o'  that  and  waltz  !  " 

"Sir?"  said  Leon  faintly. 

"  «  Sir ! '  "  yelled  the  trader.  "  Get  up  and 
clear  out !  Do  you  understand  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  understand  it;  but  what  have  I 
done?    I  couldn't  possibly  get  up.     I  couldn't 
stand." 
24 


370      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"You  must,  and  you  will!"  roared  the 
trader,  flourishing  his  fists  in  the  air.  "The 
steward  says  you  ought  to  be  kicked  out  of 
the  fort  directly,  arid  that  shows  you've  got 
something  that's  catching.  Now,  you  get  up 
and  dust.  Start  this  minute,  or  I'll  take  you 
by  the  collar  and  drag  you  out." 

This  threat  put  a  little  life  and  energy  into 
Leon.  He  arose  to  his  feet,  and  although  he 
was  so  weak  that  he  could  scarcely  maintain 
an  upright  position,  he  succeeded  in  putting 
on  his  clothes. 

Then  he  picked  up  his  overcoat  and  stag- 
gered through  the  store  and  out  at  the  door, 
the  trader  shouting  after  him  : 

"  Now,  you  go  over  to  the  other  side  of  the 
fort  and  stay  there.  Don't  let  me  catch  you 
on  this  part  of  the  parade-ground  again." 

Poor  Leon  !  All  his  hopes  of  seeing  home 
and  friends  again  were  gone  now. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A   FAMILIAR   FACE. 

T  EON  made  the  best  of  his  way  across  the 
-J-^  parade-ground,  and  threw  himself  help- 
lessly down  upon  the  steps  of  a  warehouse. 
He  was  so  ill,  and  so  utterly  discouraged,  that 
he  almost  wished  he  might  die  then  and  there, 
and  so  bring  his  sufferings  to  an  end. 

He  sat  with  his  elbows  on  his  knees  and  his 
head  in  his  hands,  looking  the  very  picture  of 
misery. 

His  gaze  being  directed  toward  the  gate 
through  which  he  had  entered  the  day  before, 
he  did  not  fail  to  see  the  neatly  dressed  young 
civilian  who  walked  briskly  up  the  hill  and 
stopped  to  speak  to  the  sentry. 

At  the  sight  of  him  Leon  started  up,  and 
even  attempted  to  get  upon  his  feet ;  but  he 
was  so  weak  that  he  fell  back  upon  the  steps 
again. 

"I  thought  at  first  it  was  Oscar  Preston," 

371 


372      TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING    A    HUNTER. 

said  he.  "  He  looks  like  him,  walks  like  him, 
and  dresses  like  him.  How  much  good  the 
sight  of  one  familiar  face  would  do  me  !  I 
wish  I  was  at  Oscars  side  this  minute.  I  tell 
you,  it  wouldn't  take  me  long  to  get  home  !  " 

"Corporal  of  the  guard  number  seven!" 
shouted  the  sentry. 

As  Leon  wearily  raised  his  head  he  saw  the 
corporal  come  out  of  the  barracks  in  response 
to  the  call  and  hasten  toward  the  gate.  He 
exchanged  a  few  words  with  the  visitor,  after 
which  he  conducted  him  along  the  path  to- 
ward where  Leon  was  sitting. 

Again  the  boy  raised  his  head  ;  his  eyes 
opened  to  their  widest  extent ;  his  under-jaw 
dropped  downward ;  he  trembled  in  every 
limb.  He  staggered  to  his  feet,  winked  hard 
to  clear  away  something  that  seemed  to  be  ob- 
structing his  vision,  and  when  he  looked  to- 
ward the  visitor  again  he  and  the  corporal  were 
just  disappearing  through  the  door  of  the 
colonel's  quarters. 

"  That's  Oscar  Preston,  if  I  ever  saw  him  !  " 
panted  Leon;  "but  what  brought  him  out 
here  ?  Did  my  father  send  him  after  me  ?  Xo, 


A    FAMILIAR   FACE.  373 

that  can't  be,  for  he  did  not  know  where  Frank 
and  I  were  going." 

Leon  picked  up  his  overcoat,  which  was  as 
heavy  a  load  as  he  wanted  to  carry  now,  and, 
moving  slowly  along  the  path,  seated  himself 
upon  the  threshold  of  the  first  door  below  the 
colonel's  quarters,  intending  to  wait  there 
until  the  visitor  came  out  again. 

He  would  have  a  good  view  of  his  face  as  he 
passed,  and  then  he  would  know  whether  or 
not  he  had  been  mistaken  in  regard  to  his 
identity. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour — it  seemed  an  age 
to  the  impatient  runaway — a  door  opened  in 
the  commandant's  quarters,  voices  sounded 
in  the  hall,  and  presently  the  visitor  came 
out,  accompanied  by  the  colonel,  the  post  sur- 
geon, and  several  subordinate  officers. 

They  walked  leisurely  down  the  path,  con- 
versing gayly,  and  Leon's  heart  seemed  to  stop 
beating  when  he  heard  the  colonel  say  : 

"Mr.  Preston,  when  you  write  to  the  pro- 
fessor, give  him  my  kindest  regards,  and 
assure  him  that  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to 
assist  you.  Hallo,  here  !  "  he  added,  in  a  very 


374      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

different  tone  of  voice,  as  a  pale  and  trembling 
figure  arose  from  a  door-step  close  at  liis  side. 
"  Who  are  you  ?" 

Leon  could  not  reply.  He  covered  liis  face 
with  his  hands,  and  tottered  as  if  he  were 
about  to  fall ;  but  Oscar  (for  it  was  he),  who 
was  struck  motionless  and  dumb  with  astonish- 
ment, recovered  himself  in  time  to  spring  for- 
ward and  catch  the  runaway  in  his  arms. 

"Leon!  Leon!"  he  exclaimed,  in  a  voice 
that  was  husky  with  emotion,  "is  this  you? 
Look  up  and  speak  to  me." 

But  Leon's  sobs  effectually  choked  his 
utterance.  Supporting  him  with  one  arm, 
Oscar  forcibly  drew  away  his  hands,  and  was 
amazed  at  the  sight  of  the  pale  and  sunken 
face  which  rested  on  his  shoulder. 

"It  is  Leon,  as  sure  as  the  world  !  "  cried 
Oscar,  who  was  almost  beside  himself  with 
excitement.  "  Doctor,  this  is  a  friend  and 
schoolmate  of  mine,  and  he  is  sick.  Won't 
you  do  something  for  him  ? " 

"Did  you  call  him  Leon?"  asked  the  sur- 
geon, stepping  up  and  putting  his  hand  under 
the  boy's  arm.  "  Then  he  must  be  that  runa- 


A    FAMILIAR   FACE.  375 

way  my  steward  was  telling  me  about.  Ah  ! " 
he  added,  as  Oscar  nodded  his  head  to  him. 
"If  that's  the  case,  you  can  do  more  for  him 
than  I  can." 

Leon  was  at  once  assisted  into  the  surgeon's 
quarters  and  placed  on  a  sofa. 

The  doctor  felt  his  pulse,  while  Oscar  knelt 
beside  him,  and  rested  his  arm  over  Leon's 
shoulder,  as  if  to  assure  him  of  protection. 

"What's  the  matter  with  him,  sir?"  he 
asked. 

"Oh,  I've  got  something  that's  catching," 
sobbed  Leon,  "  and  I'm  to  be  kicked  out  of  the 
fort.  The  trader  told  me  so.  He  wouldn't 
let  me  stay  about  where  he  was." 

Oscar  and  the  surgeon  looked  at  each  other 
in  surprise,  and  the  latter  said  : 

"  Why,  my  young  friend,  you're  homesick. 
There's  nothing  else  the  matter  with  you." 

"But  that's  bad  enough,"  said  Leon,  who 
was,  nevertheless,  greatly  encouraged.  "  I 
shall  never  see  my  home  again." 

"Yes,  you  Avill,"  exclaimed  Oscar.  "You 
can  start  to-morrow,  if  you  are  strong  enough 
to  sit  on  a  stage-coach." 


376       TWO    WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

"  There  !  "  said  the  surgeon.  "  That  assur- 
ance will  do  him  more  good  than  all  the  medi- 
cine in  the  dispensary.  Sit  down  and  talk  to 
him,"  he  added,  handing  Oscar  a  chair.  'Til 
give  him  a  tonic  and  go  out  for  half  an  hour. 
He  will  be  all  right  at  the  end  of  that  time." 

When  the  surgeon  had  seen  Leon  swallow 
the  medicine  he  prepared  for  him,  he  left  the 
room,  and  Oscar  drew  his  chair  up  beside  the 
sofa  and  sat  down. 

Leon  pinched  himself  to  make  sure  that 
he  was  not  dreaming,  and  then  took  Oscar's 
hand  in  his  own  and  clung  to  it  as  if  he 
were  afraid  that  his  friend  might  vanish  into 
thin  air. 

"Oscar,"  said  he,  "I  don't  deserve  this 
treatment  at  your  hands." 

"Yes,  you  do,"  replied  Oscar  cheerfully. 
"  I  shall  do  all  I  can  for  you,  and  then  I 
shall  not  begin  to  cancel  the  debt  I  owe  your 
father." 

"  But  you  don't  owe  me  anything  but  ill- 
will.  It  was  I  who  shot  Bugle." 

"  I  know  it ;  but  you  didn't  hurt  him.  You 
only  made  him  angry.  Now,  drop  that — it  is 


A   FAMILIAR   FACE.  377 

all  forgotten — and  tell  me  what  in  the  world 
brought  you  to  the  plains.  If  I  had  met  my 
own  mother  in  the  fort,  I  certainly  could  not 
have  been  more  surprised." 

"  I  came  out  to  be  a  hunter,"  confessed 
Leon. 

"You  did?    So  did  I." 

It  was  now  Leon's  turn  to  be  astonished. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  continued  Oscar.  "  I  expect  to 
make  my  living  for  years  to  come  by  hunting. 
I  am  sent  out  here  to  procure  specimens  for 
the  museum  connected  with  the  Yarmouth 
University." 

"  Well,"  sighed  Leon,  after  thinking  a  mo- 
ment, "your  way  of  becoming  a  hunter  is 
better  than  mine." 

"  Tell  me  your  story  from  beginning  to 
end,"  said  Oscar,  "and  then  I'll  tell  you  all 
about  myself." 

We  know  the  story  of  Leon's  adventures 
and  mishaps  ;  so  we  will  not  repeat  what  he 
said  to  Oscar. 

We  know  everything  that  happened  to 
Oscar,  too,  up  to  the  time  he  left  Sam  Hynes 
at  his  mother's  gate  on  the  night  he  returned 


378       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

from  Yarmouth.  We  dropped  the  thread  of 
his  narrative  there,  and  will  now  go  back  and 
take  it  up. 

Oscar's  mother,  you  may  be  sure,  was  over- 
joyed to  see  him.  The  letters  she  had  received 
from  him  during  his  absence  had  prepared  her 
for  a  portion  of  the  story  he  had  to  tell,  but 
there  were  also  some  things  for  which  she  was 
not  prepared,  because  the  boy  had  had  no 
time  to  write  about  them. 

"  I  was  never  so  surprised  in  my  life  as  I 
was  this  morning,"  said  Oscar,  after  he  had 
told  of  his  reception  and  experience  at  the 
university.  "The  committee  invited  me  into 
their  room  and  gave  me  a  check  for  sixteen 
hundred  dollars.  There  it  is.  The  thousand 
dollars  I  am  to  use  in  paying  my  expenses,  and 
the  rest  belongs  to  me.  I  shall  leave  it  all  with 
you,  with  the  exception  of  a  hundred  dollars, 
which  I  shall  need  to  buy  an  outfit ;  so  you  will 
be  well  provided  for  during  my  absence." 

"O  Oscar!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Preston;  "I 
don't  see  how  I  can  consent  to  this.  You 
will  be  so  far  away  from  home  and  among 
strangers " 


A    FAMILIAR   FACE.  379 

"But  I  shan't  be  among  strangers,  either," 
interrupted  Oscar,  handing  his  mother  a  pack- 
age of  papers  which  he  drew  from  the  inside 
pocket  of  his  coat.  "There  are  my  creden- 
tials, my  instructions,  which  tell  me  just  where 
to  go  and  what  to  do,  and  letters  of  introduc- 
tion to  high  government  officers,  both  civil  and 
military.  You  see,  Professor  Kendall — he  is 
the  geologist,  you  know — has  taken  two  parties 
of  students  out  to  the  plains,  and  during  his 
excursions  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  these 
officers,  who  gave  him  every  assistance.  These 
letters  will  bring  me  the  same  aid  and  com- 
fort. The  professor  is  going  to  take  another 
party  out  there  next  summer,  and  I  am  going 
to  arrange  matters  so  that  they  can  camp  with 
me  for  a  few  days." 

The  conversation  was  kept  up  until  mid- 
night, and  when  Oscar  went  to  bed  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that,  although  his 
mother  could  hardly  bear  the  thought  of  so 
long  a  separation,  she  would  adhere  to  her 
promise  and  throw  no  obstacles  in  his 
way. 

He  set  about  making  preparations  for  the 


380      TWO   WATS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

journey  as  soon  as  he  arose  the  next  morning, 
and  when  Monday  came  he  was  all  ready  to 
start. 

His  friend  Sam,  who  went  around  looking 
as  though  he  had  lost  everything  on  earth 
that  was  worth  living  for,  was  with  him  night 
and  day,  and  accompanied  him  when  he  went 
to  say  good-by  to  his  friends. 

Early  on  Monday  morning  the  omnibus 
drew  up  before  the  door.  Oscar  assisted  the 
driver  to  carry  out  his  trunk,  and  then  went 
back  to  take  leave  of  his  mother. 

This  was  by  no  means  an  easy  thing  to  do, 
and  when  he  came  out  he  held  his  handker- 
chief to  his  face. 

The  only  other  passenger  was  Sam  Hynes, 
who  did  not  speak  to  or  even  look  at  him,  al- 
though Oscar  walked  to  the  forward  end  of 
the  vehicle,  where  his  friend  was  sitting,  and 
took  a  seat  by  his  side. 

He  resolutely  kept  his  back  turned,  and 
looked  steadily  out  of  the  window  until  they 
reached  the  depot ;  then  he  jumped  up,  wrung 
Oscar's  hand  for  a  moment,  and  started  for  the 
door. 


A   FAMILIAR   FACE.  381 

"  Say  good-by,  Sam,  and  tell  me  that  you 
wish  me  success,"  cried  Oscar. 

But  Sam  did  not  act  as  though  he  heard 
him.  He  dashed  open  the  door,  and  sprang  to 
the  ground  and  hurried  away. 

There  was  a  large  company  of  schoolboys 
assembled  on  the  platform  to  see  Oscar  off, 
and  if  he  had  stopped  to  shake  all  the  hands 
that  were  stretched  out  to  him,  he  would  have 
been  obliged  to  wait  for  the  next  train. 

He  sprang  upon  the  steps  of  the  nearest  car 
as  the  train  was  moving  off,  waved  his  cap  to 
the  boys,  and  looked  around  for  Sam  Hynes. 

Presently  he  discovered  that  young  gentle- 
man far  up  the  street,  striding  along  with  his 
hands  in  his  pockets  and  his  chin  resting  on 
his  breast. 

"Good  luck  to  you,  Sam, 'wherever  you  go 
and  whatever  you  do  !  "  said  Oscar,  while  a 
big  lump  of  something  seemed  to  be  rising  in 
his  throat.  "You're  the  best  friend  any  fel- 
low ever  had." 

Oscar  stopped  one  day  in  St.  Louis  to  make 
a  few  purchases,  and  then  went  on  to  Atchi- 
son,  where  he  took  the  stage  for  Julesburg. 


382      TWO    WAYS    OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

He  arrived  there  on  time,  ate  a  hearty  break- 
fast, and,  leaving  his  luggage  at  the  station, 
walked  up  to  the  fort  to  present  his  letters  of 
introduction  to  the  commandant  and  surgeon. 

The  reception  these  gentlemen  extended  to 
him  was  all  he  could  have  desired.  They  were 
astonished  that  a  boy  like  himself  should  have 
been  selected  for  so  arduous  and  dangerous 
a  mission,  but  they  entered  heartily  into  the 
spirit  of  the  matter,  and  promised  to  assist  him 
in  every  way. 

We  have  seen  that  Oscar's  arrival  was  most 
opportune.  Had  he  delayed  his  coming  a  few 
days  longer,  there  is  no  telling  what  would 
have  become  of  Leon  Parker. 

Oscar  spent  the  afternoon  in  writing  long 
letters  to  his  mother  and  Sam.  The  one  in- 
tended for  Sam,  which  was  marked  "confi- 
dential," contained  a  full  history  of  Leon's 
adventures,  and  wound  up  with  the  request 
that  Sam,  for  the  sake  of  the  friendship  he 
bore  the  writer,  would  take  Leon  under  his 
protection.  Oscar  hoped  in  this  way  to  make 
things  smooth  for  Leon. 

There  were  mean  boys  in  Eaton,  as  there  are 


A   FAMILIAR   FACE.  383 

everywhere,  but  they  would  not  be  likely  to 
say  much  to  Leon  about  running  away  from 
home  when  they  found  he  had  a  friend  in 
such  a  heavy  hitter  as  Sam  Hynes  was  known 
to  be. 

The  two  boys  took  their  meals  with  the  offi- 
cers' mess,  and  slept  at  the  surgeon's  quarters 
that  night. 

Leon's  recovery  was  wonderfully  rapid,  as 
the  doctor  said  it  would  be,  but  he  was  not 
yet  himself  by  any  means.  What  would  his 
father  and  his  acquaintances  in  Eaton  say  to 
him  when  he  reached  home,  was  the  question 
that  worried  and  haunted  him  continually. 

Oscar  said  all  he  could  to  cheer  him,  and 
the  next  morning  he  placed  in  his  hands  a  sum 
of  money  sufficient  to  bear -all  his  expenses, 
and  accompanied  him  to  the  station. 

The  coach  arrived  in  time  and  the  runaway, 
after  shaking  Oscar  warmly  by  the  hand,  and 
thanking  him  over  and  over  again  for  his  kind- 
ness, climbed  to  a  seat  on  the  top,  and  in  five 
minutes  more  was  whirled  away  out  of  sight. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A  VOICE  FROM   THE   SNOW-DRIFT. 

IT  was  a  clear,  cold  afternoon  in  February. 
School  had  just  been  dismissed,  and  among 
those  who  came  down  the  stairs,  and  paused 
to  put  on  their  gloves  and  pull  the  collars  of 
their  overcoats  about  their  ears  before  ventur- 
ing out  into  the  frosty  air,  were  Sam  Hynes 
and  Leon  Parker. 

These  two  were  often  seen  together  now,  and 
we  may  add  that  the  former  had  twice  been 
kept  after  school  since  Leon  came  home,  and 
reprimanded  for  fighting. 

But  Sam  declared  that  he  had  never  had  a 
fight  in  his  life.  Perhaps  he  hadn't;  but  it 
is  nevertheless  true  that  he  had  shaken  one 
boy  until  every  tooth  in  his  head  rattled,  and 
washed  another's  face  in  the  snow. 

It  is  hard  to  tell  what  Oscar  would  have 
thought  if  he  had  known  how  faithfully  Sam 
was  carrying  out  his  wishes. 

884 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   SNOW-DRIFT.  385 

The  two  boys  walked  together  until  they 
arrived  at  Mrs.  Preston's  house,  and  there 
they  separated — one  turning  in  at  the  gate,  and 
the  other  keeping  on  his  way  toward  home. 

Sam,  followed  by  Bugle,  who  came  out  to 
meet  him,  went  into  the  woodshed,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  fill  his  arms  with  stove-wood. 

This  done,  he  walked  into  the  kitchen  with- 
out ceremony,  and  deposited  the  wood  in  the 
box. 

Mrs.  Preston,  hearing  the  racket  he  made, 
came  out  to  see  who  was  there. 

"Now,  Sammy,"  said  she,  "I  wish  you 
wouldn't  put  yourself  to  so  much  trouble." 

"No  trouble  at  all,"  answered  Sam.  "I 
happened  to  pass  through  the  woodshed,  and 
thought  I  wouldn't  come  in  empty-handed. 
Heard  anything  from  Oscar  lately  ?  " 

"No,  I  haven't;  and  I  begin  to  feel  very 
uneasy." 

"  No  use  feeling  uneasy,"  said  Sam  cheer- 
fully. "They  have  had  some  hard  storms  out 
there,  and  of  course  the  roads  are  blocked. 
When  the  letters  do  come,  they'll  come  in  a 
bunch." 

25 


386      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTEU. 

While  Sam  was  speaking,  be  was  looking 
about  the  room,  and,  seeing  that  the  water- 
bucket  was  empty,  he  went  out  and  filled  it  at 
the  pump. 

Mrs.  Preston  again  protested,  but  Sam 
silenced  her  by  declaring  that  he  happened 
to  be  thirsty,  and  didn't  know  any  easier  way 
to  get  a  drink. 

It  was  a  singular  fact  that  somehow  Sam 
always  "happened"  to  pass  through  the 
woodshed  about  the  time  the  box  was  empty 
and  the  kindling-wood  getting  low,  and  that 
he  always  "  happened  "  to  be  thirsty  when  he 
came  out  of  school  and  the  water-bucket  had 
to  be  filled. 

Mrs.  Preston  had  not  lived  alone  since  Os- 
car's departure.  She  had  two  young  lady 
boarders  for  company  ;  and  as  Sam  had  a  way 
of  dropping  in  and  saying  something  cheerful 
just  at  the  time  when  she  was  growing  down- 
hearted and  longed  to  see  Oscar,  she  managed 
to  keep  up  pretty  good  spirits.  Sam  always 
brought  sunshine  with  him,  and  the  lonely 
mother  felt  the  better  for  his  visits. 

Having    satisfied    himself    that    there    was 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   SNOW-DRIFT.  387 

nothing  else  he  could  do,  Sam  departed,  with 
the  remark  that  he  might  happen  around  to 
the  post  office  that  evening,  and  if  he  did,  he 
would  bring  up  Mrs.  Preston's  mail,  should 
there  chance  to  be  any. 

He  went  there  as  straight  as  he  could  go, 
and,  to  his  great  delight,  three  letters,  ad- 
dressed to  Mrs.  Preston  in  Oscar's  well-known 
hand,  were  pushed  out  to  him. 

With  the  muttered  threat  that  if  he  did  not 
find  at  least  one  letter  for  himself  from  the 
same  source  somebody  would  hear  from  him, 
he  walked  to  the  other  end  of  the  office  and 
looked  into  his  father's  box. 

It  happened  that  there  were  two  for  him, 
and  so  Oscar  escaped  a  blowing  up.  One  of 
the  letters  was  bulky — it  took  three  stamps  to 
bring  it  through— and  the  other  was  much 
smaller. 

"I'll  read  the  mean  little  one  first,"  thought 
Sam,  as  he  tore  open  the  envelope  after  put- 
ting the  other  letters  into  his  pocket,  "and 
save  the  best  for  the  last." 

Sam  took  the  letter  out  of  the  envelope  and 
read  it  as  he  walked  along — that  is,  he  read  a 


388      TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A    HUNTER. 

few  lines  near  the  end  of  it.  Then  he  stopped, 
and  stood  motionless  for  a  few  moments,  look- 
ing the  very  picture  of  astonishment. 

Suddenly  arousing  himself,  he  crammed  the 
letter  back  into  the  envelope,  jumped  up  and 
knocked  his  heels  together,  at  the  same  time 
uttering  a  suppressed  whoop,  and  started  off 
at  a  rapid  run. 

The  longer  he  ran  the  faster  he  ran,  and  the 
consequence  was  that  when  he  reached  Mrs. 
Preston's  house  he  was  nearly  out  of  breath. 

"I've  got  three  letters  for  you!"  he  ex- 
claimed, as  he  burst  into  the  sitting  room. 
"There  they  are  !" 

"  And  you  have  run  all  the  way  from  the 
office?"  said  Mrs.  Preston. 

"Yes'm.  This  cold  weather  makes  one 
pretty  lively." 

Sam  banged  the  door  again  and  set  off  at  the 
top  of  his  speed.  He  ran  past  his  father's 
house,  and,  mounting  the  steps  that  led  to  Mr. 
Chamberlain's  door,  rang  the  bell  furiously. 

The  summons  was  answered  by  the  principal, 
who  looked  at  the  boy  in  great  surprise. 

"  Oscar  has  gone  and  done  it,  sure  enough  !  " 


A    VOICE   FROM   THE   SNOW-DRIFT.  389 

exclaimed  Sam,  who  was  so  full  of  news,  and 
so  eager  to  communicate  it,  that  he  couldn't 
wait  to  be  questioned.  "You  remember  the 
last  evening  but  one  that  we  spent  with  you, 
do  you  not  ?  You  asked  Oscar  if  he  would 
have  the- courage  to  hunt  the  savage  animals 
we  were  talking  about.  Well,  he  has  ;  and  he 
has  proved  himself  a  hero,  too.  I  just  got  the 
letter  out  of  the  office,  and  brought  it  around 
here,  thinking  that  perhaps  you  would  like  to 
hear  it." 

"Certainly  I  would,"  answered  the  princi- 
pal. "It  was  very  kind  and  thoughtful  of 
you.  Sit  down." 

While  Sam  was  talking,  he  and  the  princi- 
pal had  been  walking  along  the  hall,  and  now 
turned  into  the  library. 

The  boy,  taking  the  seat  pointed  out  to 
him,  slammed  his  cap  down  upon  the  floor, 
drew  Oscar's  letter  from  his  pocket,  and  read 
as  follows : 

CAMP  IN  THE  FOOT-HILLS, 

January  25,  18 — 

DEAR  SAM  :  I  wrote  you  a  long  letter  last  week  (I 
know  you  haven't  received  it  yet,  for  it  is  at  this  very 
moment  lying  snugly  stowed  away  in  one  of  the  pockets 


390       TWO   WAYS   OF   BECOMING   A   HUNTER. 

of  my  saddle-bags),  but  I  want  to  write  just  a  few  lines 
more,  for  I  have  something  to  tell  you. 

I  have  but  a  very  few  minutes  to  tell  it  in,  because 
my  guide  is  getting  ready  to  make  another  attempt  to 
reach  the  fort.  He  tried  a  few  days  ago,  but  the  snow 
was  so  deep  and  soft  that  lie  was  obliged  to  turn  back 
before  he  had  gone  five  miles.  He  has  made  a  pair  of 
snow-shoes  since  then,  and  will  travel  on  them  until  he 
strikes  the  prairie,  where  he  hopes  to  find  the  snow  all 
blown  off  the  trail.  I  tell  you,  Sam,  you  don't  know 
anything  about  storms  or  snow  or  drifts  in  Eaton.  You 
ought  to  be  here  now  ;  and  I  really  wish  you  were,  for 
I  hardly  know  what  I  shall  do  with  myself  while  my 
guide  is  gone.  Of  course,  I  might  hunt,  but  I  think  I 
shall  be  safer  in  camp.  I  saw  something  the  other  day, 
and  since  then  I  have  lost  some  of  my  enthusiasm. 

The  valley  in  which  our  camp  is  located  is  so  effect- 
ually protected  that  there  is  very  little  snow  in  it,  and  I 
have  been  able  to  go  shooting  every  day.  I  have 
secured  a  very  fine  pair  of  mule-deer  (called  black-tails 
out  here)  ;  but,  although  I  have  shot  sixteen  elk,  I  have 
not  yet  found  a  specimen,  the  horns  not  being  as  perfect 
as  I  wish  they  were.  I  have  stalked  one  old  fellow, 
who  carries  a  magnificent  pair  of  antlers,  more  than  a 
dozen  times,  making  use  of  all  the  caution  and  skill  I 
was  master  of,  but  he  has  always  been  too  smart  for 
rne.  I  have  a  rod  in  pickle  for  him,  however,  and  in  my 
next  letter  I  shall  tell  you  that  I  have  got  him. 

But  if  I  have  failed  in  one  thing,  I  have  been  remark- 
ably successful  in  another.  Give  me  a  good  grip  and 
shake,  old  fellow,  and  then  go  and  look  at  that  skin 
hanging  up  there.  A  black  bear  ?  No,  sir  !  You  never 
saw  one  of  that  species  with  claws  eight  inches  long. 
It's  a  grizzly,  and  my  guide  says  he  never  in  his  life  saw 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   SNOW-DRIFT.  391 

but  one  larger.  I  killed  him  myself  with  a  single  bullet. 
How  I  did  it,  or  how  I  had  the  courage  to  shoot  at  him 
at  all,  I  can't  tell  for  the  life  of  me.  It  seems  more  like  a 
dream  than  a  reality.  He  was  close  upon  my  guide,  who 
had  wounded  him  and  could  not  run  fast  enough  to  get 
out  of  his  way,  and  in  a  minute  more  there  would 
have  been  sad  work  in  that  little  grove  of  scrub  oaks, 
had  it  not  been  for  my  lucky  snap-shot  which  broke  the 
bear's  neck.  I  don't  hunt  alone  any  more,  and  now  you 
know  the  reason  why. 

Sam,  not  a  word  to  mother  about  this.  While  I  shall 
keep  you  posted  in  everything,  I  shall  be  careful  what  I 
write  to  her.  Don't  mention  it  to  anybody  who  will  be 
likely  to  repeat  it. 

But  my  guide  is  ready  and  waiting.  I  am  going  to  see 
him  a  mile  or  two  on  his  way,  and  won't  I  be  lonely 
when  I  come  back  to  camp  !.  Remember  me  to  all  my 
friends  in  Eaton,  pat  Bugle  for  me,  and  believe  me,  as 
ever, 

Faithfully  yours, 

OSCAR  PRESTON. 


THE   END. 


THE 

FAMOUS 

CASTLEMON 

BOOKS. 

BY 

HARRY 
CASTLEMON. 


Specimen  Cover  of  the  Gunboat 

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3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra, printed 
in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

George  in  Camp  ;  or,  Life  on  the  Tlains I  25 

George  at  the  Wheel ;  cr,  Life  in  a  Tilot  House  .      i  25 
George  at  the  Fort ;  or,  Life  Among  the  Soldiers  .      i  25 

ROD  AND  GUN  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

Don  Gordon's  Shooting  Box i  25 

Rod  and  Gun i  25 

The  Young  Wild  Fowlers i  25 

FOREST  AND  STREAM  SERIES.  By  Harry 
Castlemon.  3  vols.,  12010.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth, 
extra,  printed  in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

Joe  Wayring  at  Home  ;  or,  Story  of  a  Fly  Rod    .      i  25 

Snagged  and  Sunk  ;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Can- 
vas Canoe  I  25 

Steel  Horse ;  o.-,  The  Rambles  of  a  Bicycle  ....      I  25 

WAR  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  4  vols., 
I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed  in 
colors.  In  box 5  oo 

True  to  his  Colors i  25 

Rodney,  the  Partisan i  25 

Marcy,  the  Blockade  Runner i  25 

Marcy,  the  Refugee i  25 

OUR  FELLOWS ;  or,  Skirmishes  with  the  Swamp 
Dragoons.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  i6mo.  Fully  illus- 
trated. Cloth,  extra I  25 


ALGER'S 

RENOWNED 

BOOKS. 

BY 

HORATIO 
ALGER,  JR. 


Specimen  Cover  of  the  Ragged 
Dick  Series. 

Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  has  attained  distinction  as  one  of  the  most  popular 
writers  of  books  for  boys,  and  the  following  list  comprises  all  of  his  best 
books. 

***  Any  volume  sold  separately. 

RAGGED  DICK  SERIES.  By  Horatio  Alger, 
Jr.  6  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra, 
printed  in  colors.  In  box $75° 

Ragged  Dick  ;  or,  Street  Life  in  New  York    ....       i  25 

Fame   and   Fortune ;   or,  The  Progress  of  Richard 

Hunter I   25 

Mark,  the  Match  Boy  ;  or,  Richard  Hunter's  Ward     I  25 

Rough  and  Ready  ;  or,  Life  among  the  New  York 

Newsboys I  25 

Ben,  the  Luggage  Boy  ;  or,  Among  the  Wharves    .       i  25 

jRufus   and   Rose  ;   or,  the   Fortunes  of  Rough  and 

Ready I  25 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES.  (FIRST  SERIES.) 
By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.  4  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illus- 
trated. Cloth,  extra,  printed  in  colors.  In  box  ,  ,  ,  5  oo 

14) 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Form  L9-40m-7,'56(C790s4)444 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


II  II  III!   Ill  111 

AA    000475416    4 


PZ 
7 


